The next class for docents begins in September. Training for new and active docents is held every Monday from 9 a.m. to noon from September through April. Training includes lectures and gallery sessions on the museum's permanent collections and special exhibitions, as well as touring techniques and lessons on how to view and talk about art.

Trainees attend weekly classes for eight months, do occasional homework assignments and give guided tours in the spring. Docents are asked to make a two-year commitment once they graduate from training, although most docents remain active for many years. In addition to becoming a member of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at the individual level or above, docents must pay yearly dues of $15 per person.

Applications may be picked up at the museum Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Applications must be submitted by July 31 to Elizabeth Garrison, the Cameron Paulin Curator of Education. Interviews will be held in late July and August.

The Hallie Ford Museum of Art was founded in 1998 to serve as an artistic, cultural and intellectual resource for Willamette University, the city of Salem, the mid-Willamette Valley and beyond. It includes four permanent galleries and two temporary exhibition spaces. Permanent galleries focus on European, Asian and American art, Native American baskets, historic and contemporary regional art, and European and American works on paper. Temporary exhibitions feature historic and contemporary art.

The museum is located at 700 State St. (corner of State and Cottage streets) in downtown Salem near the campus of Willamette University. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed Mondays. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Children younger than 12 are admitted free, and Tuesday is an admission-free day. For more information, call (503) 370-6855 or visit Museum of Art.