Behind the Scenes

If you’ve walked by the museum lately, you may have noticed some changes. The front space of our institution has transformed many times since the museum first opened to the public in 1982. Interior of Museum Store, 1982 Museum Store interior, post 2006 renovation Museum Front Gallery, 2020 Museum Front Gallery, 2020 The museum store was leased and operated by local business owner Chris Gensheimer. Given the economic impact on downtown and with the suspension of convention traffic, the decision was made that for the time being retail at The Sid was [...]

Historically, some indigenous communities shared their history through oral tradition. But sometimes, they used other tools to help them remember their long and complex histories. Among Northern Plains Indians, one of those tools was a winter count, which helped keep track of the passage of years. In this case, the year was not measured from January through December, but rather from first snowfall to the following year’s snowfall. Different groups from the Northern Plains region sometimes referred to this entire year as a winter. At the end of the year, elders in the various communities would meet to discuss the [...]

Last week we took a group of our docent volunteers on a journey down to Orange, Texas. About a 6 hour drive from Fort Worth, Orange is a town nestled into southeast Texas, not far from the Louisiana border. Although Orange is small, it packs a lot of punch when it comes to its cultural attractions. Sid Richardson Museum staff & docents at the Stark Museum of Art. The impetus for our trip was to visit the Stark Museum of Art, which houses one of the finest collections of art of the American West and Southwest. In addition [...]

This fall, the Sid Richardson Museum embarked on a new class of docents. Having started our extensive docent training in September, I’m happy to report that we’re halfway through our course! What have we learned so far? Eleven future docents were introduced to the museum collection & staff, and jumped right in to their new role by sharing what they learned about Sid Richardson through various pieces in the museum collection. The docent class had the great fortunate to learn about the artwork and time period represented in our collection through various prestigious visiting speakers. Dr. Brian Dippie, one of [...]

As we gear up for a new class of docents this fall, we want to shine the spotlight on our volunteers who continue to dedicate their time serving the community through the museum.  On today's "Dedicated Docent" blog series, I'd like to introduce you to Nancy C. SRM: What drew you to the Sid Richardson Museum? Nancy: This museum is a wonderful smaller museum that houses amazing Western Art by Charles Russell and Frederic Remington with other western painters.  I have the privilege to know the Director of the Museum and another docent, and they got me interested in discovering more about [...]

On Sunday, Fort Worth bid farewell to Gus and Captain Call and the Lonesome Dove Reunion and Trail. Thanks to Mayor Betsy Price’s vision, our community has had numerous opportunities this spring to enjoy treasures from the Lonesome Dove Collection, permanently held at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University (TSU) in San Marcos. TSU, the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau and generous sponsors and partners brought the beloved Western Lonesome Dove to our city via exhibits, screenings and panel discussions with cast and crew. The Trail featured costumes, props, and photographs from the Lonesome Dove Production Archive. The Sid [...]

The Sid Richardson Museum docents are a special group of volunteers. In any given week, they may give a guided tour to a group of students, share our collection with a visiting group of adults, help lead activities during children's programs, or enlighten guests during a special event. The museum is starting up a new class of docents in Fall 2016. If you're interested in joining our team, we will be posting more information on our website soon. Stay tuned! For now, let’s continue our “Dedicated Docents” blog series. Today I’d like to feature our docent Jim. SRM: What drew you to [...]

Every week our galleries are filled with students, many of whom are experiencing their first visit to an art museum. Thanks to our group of volunteer docents, these children have an opportunity to discover how fun art can be! Let's continue our "Dedicated Docents" blog series. Today I'd like to feature our docent Ginger. SRM: What drew you to the Sid Richardson Museum? Ginger: I had been a docent at the Amon Carter Museum in years past and in retirement knew I would enjoy being a docent again. SRM: What do you want visitors to get out of the tour? Ginger: I [...]

Each of our volunteer docents are unique individuals with an array of varied interests and skills. Continuing our blog series dedicated to our docents, today I’d like to introduce you to Mark. SRM:  What drew you to the Sid Richardson Art Museum? Mark: One day after returning from out-of-state exile (I’m a native Texan), I looked through the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and noticed a small ad for prospective docents at the Sid Richardson Museum. It sounded interesting, and since I had always liked western art, Remington, and Russell, I thought, “Why not?” SRM:  What do you want visitors to get [...]

Docent. do·cent /do'sent/ 1 : a person who leads guided tours, especially through a museum or art gallery. At the Sid Richardson Art Museum, prospective docents attend an intensive training process through which the volunteers learn about the museum, our collection, and good communication and interpretation skills by which to engage with our visitors, both children and adults. Continuing our blog series dedicated to our docents, today I’d like to introduce you to Fay. SRM: What drew you to the Sid Richardson Art Museum? Fay:  Having grown up with the Western genre, I was naturally drawn to the SRM after moving [...]