Museum Makes Name for Itself

As a 17-year docent of the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana (“Bowers Museum Grapples With Its Identity,” Feb. 4), I have proprietary interest and enthusiasm for the museum. There are lots of things going on and great plans for the future.

Armand Labbe, chief curator, Paul Apodaca, curator of folk art, and Paul Johnson, exhibit designer, are already working on the details of the exhibits planned for the renovated museum.

The museum does still have one gallery open featuring an exhibit of Indian and Eskimo artifacts and entitled “Where We Live is How We Live.” Docent tours are scheduled through June.

Apodaca curated a recent exhibit of Bowers artifacts at the Mission museum in San Juan Capistrano, and Labbe curated a current exhibit at the Irvine Fine Arts Center that features Peruvian textiles from the museum collection. More such exhibits are planned for the renovation period.

The museum name also has become known through sales of a docent-written book entitled “How to Write a Better Tour.” Copies have been sold throughout the United States and Canada and were eagerly sought after at the recent national docent symposium in Washington, where Bowers docent Ruth Seigle led a seminar.

The Docent Guild will continue its outreach programs during the renovation. The Mini-Museum section takes programs into the classroom and offers seven different subjects designed to tie in with the museum collections and augment the curriculum studies. Already this school year, (the Guild has) reached 8,000 children, traveled 3,000 miles and volunteered 315 hours.

The Senior Outreach goes into retirement and rest homes as well as to various organizations. Rest- home personnel praise the therapeutic value of the presentations.

The Speakers Bureau has a number of varied topics available, all of which tie in with the museum collections, and has booked 85 presentations so far this school year.

LOIS MADLEY, Fullerton