Teacher makes art engaging
Published: May 7, 2005
Volunteer teacher Sherry Koopot not only knows her art, but she also knows the stories behind the art.
“Sherry stands out as one of the finest of the Phoenix Art Museum docents and is widely acknowledged among the docents as the ‘gold standard’ to which we all aspire,” said volunteer docent Janie Russo of Scottsdale.
Koopot has volunteered at the Phoenix Art Museum since 1986 and is one of approximately 440 museum docents. Although the museum’s docent program requires a minimum of 100 hours of volunteer service per year from each docent, Koopot averages 1,400 hours per year. Koopot has also held numerous chairmanship positions within the museum’s docent organization.
“I really enjoy it. I’m always learning something new. I also have to figure out how to make a connection with kids of different ages,” Koopot said.
Koopot, 59, gives a wide variety of talks as well as museum tours to all ages of children and adults.
She often takes her presentations on the road to schools, adult civic groups and senior centers. Koopot recently created a new outreach slide and art project program titled “Picturing Arizona” that meets curriculum needs for fourth-grade students who are studying Arizona’s history.
“She just has that extraordinary ability to talk to people of all ages and backgrounds while truly engaging them. That’s really unusual,” Russo said.
While taking a group of elementary-age children through an exhibit on Theodore Robinson recently, Koopot commented on Robinson’s ability to learn new techniques later in life. Whether pointing to an artist’s life lessons or sharing humorous anecdotes, the Paradise Valley resident has a knack for captivating her audience.
“Sherry is magnificent. A lot of people may know a lot of things about art history, but they may not be able to present it well. She can do it beautifully,” said Jennifer Totem, the museum’s volunteer coordinator.
Ironically, Koopot, a nurse, never studied art history before volunteering at the Phoenix Art Museum.
“It’s brought a whole new dimension to my life. It’s good for me and keeps my mind active.”
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