See Me at Home! (Part 2)

Access Smithsonian’s See Me program fosters pan-institutional relationships and connects more participants than ever to the Smithsonian’s collections. This is Part 2 of a series, see Part 1 here.

In part one of our series, we spoke to Ashley Grady, Senior Program Specialist with Access Smithsonian, about the See Me program and how the shift from in-person to virtual programming changed See Me for the better. In part two, we will continue our discussion with Ashley. We’ll also hear from two volunteers about their experience facilitating See Me programs.

As a result of moving to a virtual environment, See Me programs have the ability to reach larger audiences than ever before. One of the program’s current goals is national expansion and outreach. In line with this goal, they recently launched See Me in Español, offering programs entirely in Spanish. Ashley states their goal is to offer See Me in Español to communities outside of the DMV, even internationally, not just to the local community. See Me has been able to grow and expand their programming with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Their assistance has allowed Ashley and the Access Smithsonian team to hire contractors to specifically work on the See Me program as it continues to grow.

You may be wondering how volunteers fit into all of this; the answer is that it varies from museum to museum. Access Smithsonian manages the infrastructure of the overarching See Me program, overseeing aspects such as participant recruitment, marketing, and community outreach. Participating museums oversee content development for the programs that take place about their museum. Volunteers (depending on the museum) facilitate and lead the individual programs. The relationship between Access Smithsonian, the museums, and their volunteers, is a partnership which Ashley describes as truly pan-institutional – One Smithsonian. Volunteers have been involved with See Me since its pilot in 2017 and are often the guides of the assorted programs. Access Smithsonian has even completed mentorships with docents and volunteers, helping them develop skills to effectively engage with the See Me audience.

Volunteers from the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) were involved in the pilot and are now in charge of both developing program content and facilitating programs virtually. We spoke with two such SAAM volunteers, Pat Greenfield and Lillian O’Connell.

When asked what her favorite part about volunteering with See Me is, Pat replied, “Every session is a new adventure. We never guess ahead of time which pieces will spark rich conversations, memories, and stories. Often, in fact almost every time, the participants notice and enlighten me about an aspect of the artwork that I’ve never seen or appreciated. I always feel a glow afterwards.” She further elaborated about the transition to virtual programming, saying it was “delightful.”  She added that “new people are able to join. They bring their own energy and insights to the conversation. Additionally, we can use pieces that formerly were off limits because of their location, for instance hung in a corridor, busy room, or not on view. When we talk to families in other parts of the country, we can refer them to the program. I hope we can continue virtual sessions after the museum opens.”

Lillian mused about her favorite object and activity, sharing, “I enjoyed exploring Subway by Lily Furedi, with my cohort Betsy Hennigan, when we also teamed up with a poet to explore both an artwork and a poem centered on a subway ride. We included some Duke Ellington music as we looked at all the groups of people sitting in the subway car and mused about what the passengers were possibly talking about or thinking.”

Overall, See Me creates a positive, inclusive, and interactive experience for all who are involved. It is a program that truly lives up to the Smithsonian’s mission to “increase and diffuse knowledge.”

See Me programs in English are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Programs in Spanish are held on the 4th Wednesday of the month from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Virtual programming for larger groups in community locations are available upon request.

If you’re interested in learning more about See Me please contact Ashley Grady at GradyA@si.edu.

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