Sherry Braggio brings the past into the present.
As a docent, Braggio leads tours throughout The Walters Art Museum.
“I like making the history relevant and current,” she said. “I find out from teachers what the classes are studying and bring that into the tours.”
Braggio went through substantial training before she was allowed to volunteer ? undergoing months of lectures and art history classes to learn about the more than 28,000 objects in the museum. The collection at the Walters includes world art from different centuries, such as Greek and Roman artifacts and ancient Egyptian exhibits.
A retired teacher, Braggio conducts mostly school tours that allow her to focus her attention on the ancient world. When she explains Mesopotamia, an ancient civilization, she tells the students that this is where the American soldiers are in Iraq. She uses ancient armor as a spur to discuss modern adaptations.
“I have the kids think about helmets and come up with all kinds of current things ? like policemen who also wear helmets,” Braggio said.
Ken Walsh, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy, said his class really enjoyed having Braggio as a docent. Corresponding with a unit on ancient Egypt, Walsh and his students toured the museum to view the mummies and canopic jars, which held preserved organs.
“It?s a neat, fun time, and the boys were really engaged during the outreach session and the tour,” Walsh said.
John Shields, manager of the docent and internship program at the museum, backed up Walsh?s evaluation of the interactive way that Braggio gives her tours.
“Sherry, as a former teacher and counselor, does a lot that?s above and beyond the usual docent duties,” Shields said. “She also gives touch tours for blind and special needs children.”
Braggio even finds time to takes her own interest in certain displays. Her favorite currently are the ones involving griffins.
“I think it?s fascinating that all cultures had griffins representing speed and agility,” she said.
