Being an Eames Foundation Docent is a great way to get to know the Eames House intimately. Docents are responsible for learning about the House as well as the Eameses’ approaches to life and work, and for sharing that deeper understanding with visitors to the Eames House.
Our Docent trainings take place on three consecutive Saturdays (next training date TBD). To apply, please submit a short letter of interest, current resume or CV and the names and phone numbers of two professional references to info@eamesfoundation.org.
All Docents are required to complete a full Docent Training and must be able to commit to nine volunteer days per year. Typically we need Docents on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Docent Training consists of three on-site learning days plus several readings, including selections from An Eames Primer and the December 1949 Arts & Architecture article on the Eames House.
During training, you will be asked to familiarize yourself with a specific body of information as well as the Eames Foundation’s docent guidelines. Beyond that, we ask that you bring your own interests; there are many ways to explore the Eameses’ lives and works. If you engage with what excites you, then your enthusiasm will carry over to the visitors.
DOCENT REFLECTIONS:
Ali Azimi
“The Eames House is world class in its scope and vision. The House represents rarity in the most sincerest sense of the word. A vibrant vision for living that has inspired many around the globe. The Eames Foundation continues to maintain that stance as many more are introduced to the works of Charles and Ray Eames and plan a visit of their own. Wouldn’t you say that the Eames house and its philosophy is the kind of spirit that needs to be shared? I say, ‘Hell to the YES!'”
Elizabeth Gartner
“The Eames House is more than a top-notch slice of design history. It is a relic of two people who devoted their lives to exploring the beauty of the world and its cultures. The Eameses pursued their curiosities endlessly and it shows in every detail of their home and their possessions. It saturates the air around it.”
Marc Green
“It epitomizes something wonderful about living in Los Angeles; the sunny spirit that moves us to embrace the new.”
Bobbi Mapstone
“The House that Charles and Ray Eames designed (which became their home for the rest of their lives) represents their work and ideas in a way that is personal and intimate. It is their ultimate legacy; a window into their values and work/home ethos. Visitors from around the world bring knowledge and passion about their products, ideas, furniture, exhibitions, films and more. The House allows guests to experience Charles and Ray as their hosts, a concept that is intrinsic in all their process. They moved into their house on Christmas Eve of 1949. Now, some 67 years later, their home of steel and glass needs attention. In order to insure that their world is still available for new generations, acts of conservation and maintenance are in need to counteract the effects of sun, rain, wind, air pollution and earthquakes.”
Dexter Red
“The Eames House is a monument to the visionary idealism that once characterized a more optimistic America.”
Deric Schmidt
“The Eames House is important to me because it is a living icon and artifact. It is the foremost of mid century architectural designs. This house had a major impact on design-based thinking and creative exploration. Being at the Eames House is inspiring.”
Richard Stein
“The Eames House is a classic example of mid-century modernism in Los Angeles. Its is one of America’s half-dozen great twentieth-century houses and testimony to a remarkable way of life that continued until the death of Ray Eames in 1988. It is not just a Case Study House or even a house in a strictly architectural sense. The Eames House is a living (and one has to visit to see it as a living place) example of the creative aesthetic that encmpassed architecture, design, and cultural engagement in the fullest possible way. No wonder visitors come from around the world with different goals and backgrounds. This house is a pilgrimage site, and well worth the journey!”
