Retired physician shares love of art as museum docent

ORLANDO, Fla. — Retired physician Lawrence Brown volunteers his time helping people in Orlando enjoy artwork at the Orlando Museum of Art.

Just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown decided to become a docent at the museum. Then the world shut down.

Since that time, he has spent a lot of hours guiding people through the Orlando Museum of Art, one tour at a time.

“I’ve always been interested in a museum for decades since I’ve been here in Central Florida,” Brown said.

He said he gets joy out of spending time in the museum and helping others find their way.

“There’s different types of tours. There’s adult tours, children tours. Sometimes I’m just a wandering docent,” Brown said.

“On a Sunday, I’ll come into the galleries and spend an hour or two and approach people and ask them, ‘Would you like to know more about this particular work of art’? Brown said. “And most of the time they do; they’re very receptive to it.”

Molly Lawson, who heads up community engagement and the docent program for OMA, said docents receive a variety of experiences. 

“Not only continued learning, but you get to meet like-minded friends when you’re a docent, people that are interested in the arts and educating people on the arts,” Lawson said.

Volunteers like Brown help make each museum visit special for visitors, she said.

“Part of being a docent is not only being comfortable engaging with an audience, but he’s one that can engage with a variety of ages and stages from kids all the way through seniors,” Lawson said.

As the museum has played host to a number of groups and special activities over the years, Brown has helped in every way, even carrying a book with some of the artists’ pictures so people can get a look at the visionaries behind the art.

“I started this just a few years ago. I find that it helps when I’m talking about art to sometimes let people visualize what the artists look like,” Brown said.

He said his love for art and people keeps him coming back to Orlando Museum of Art twice a month to share that love with all who want to hear.

“It gives me an opportunity to get out in the community and particularly do the things that I enjoy that also the people who come, the guests here, can enjoy as they come,” Brown said.