Ages: Up to 5 years of age
When: Second Saturday, 10:15 a.m. on Instagram & Facebook
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not Required

This amazing woman brazenly moved the YAM’s education department from a dedicated ‘children’s hour’, to a well-organized machine of a department with outreach, and integrated satellites into our school systems, local Indigenous schools and their communities, and institutions throughout Billings. In my vote, she single handedly promoted the education of all Billings youth, from preschool to college, through the Yellowstone Art Museum. She sought grants and partnerships, always promoting attendance and involvement in the Education Department. Her humanitarian work with the prisons and Passages and Indigenous agencies provided an outlet and hours of relief for people in need. Linda Ewert developed the Docent volunteer program to a prosperous functioning level, shaving thousands of hours off staff time necessary to promote and apply to showcasing and introducing art to the community in numerous attempts. These included events, evolving student studio time, engaging teens in the YAM Teens program, promoting gallery shows, and educating docents in methods to make art a viable part within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) societal thrust. Her docent education program popped the use of volunteers right off the charts with connections to a national symposium. YAM docents brought printed artwork into the schools, enhancing and enriching places which had no art instructor in their institution. Docents began conducting specialized tours, using professional development of Visual Thinking Strategies — VTS, which was a huge undertaking to both learn and teach. She was a very strong proponent of the theory that lets people answer the question “What do you see?” Tens of thousands of folks visiting the YAM received conscientious introduction to art appreciation because of this. I call it changing lives and opening minds to what the Yellowstone Art Museum has to offer each one of us. —YAM Docent Jean Posusta

Linda always had a way of making each docent feel they had something unique to bring to the group. Over the years we presented some wonderful docent driven exhibitions and presentations at symposiums under her leadership. Linda was always forward thinking and we always measured up to much larger museums and guiding methods. —YAM Docent Linda Snider