Contributors

Juline Chevalier is passionate about helping people connect to visual art, each other, and themselves in meaningful ways. Two of her favorite questions are “So what?” and “Why are we doing it this way?” She tries to ask them of herself and others in museums as often as possible (and as kindly as possible). Juline is the head of Interpretation and Participatory Experiences at Mia, and the Director of the National Art Education Association Museum Education Division (2019–21). She earned a BA in art history and French from the University of Virginia and an EdM from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Debbi Hegstrom is senior educator at Mia. She oversees the docent program, which includes teaching about the museum’s collections as well as evaluating and coaching docents. She is involved in exploring new gallery strategies that incorporate critical thinking and cultural fluency. Debbi also serves on Mia’s accessibility team and advocates for inclusiveness in all areas and programs of the museum. She earned an MA and PhD in art history from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Ann Isaacson has been an educator at Mia for over 20 years. She is currently a senior educator in the Department of Interpretation and Participatory Experiences in the Division of Learning and Innovation. Ann’s work is centered around Art Adventure, Collection-In-Focus, and the Veterans’ Art Connections tour guide programs. Ann has a B.A. from the University of Minnesota, College of Liberal Arts, in studio art and an MA from the University of Minnesota, College of Design, with a focus on traditional Nordic arts.

Daliya Jokondo is a Minneapolis-based South Sudanese visual artist whose practice is a collection of paintings, sculptures, installation, and audio/video work. Daliya is currently a Learning Innovation fellow at Mia. Daliya earned a BFA (2011) from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and an MFA (2018) from Virginia Commonwealth.

Kara ZumBahlen is an associate educator at Mia, where she supports the training needs of the docent and guide programs. She believes in the power of creativity to foster empathetic connections and conversations between all people. She has a BA in English, with a studio arts minor, from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and an MA in art history from the University of St. Thomas. When not at the museum, you will find her happily making pottery.

Mia Volunteers
The 328 docents and guides at the Minneapolis Institute of Art are enthusiastic about their love of art, their service to the museum, and connecting to all visitors in the galleries. This toolkit is dedicated to these volunteers and the important work they do.