One of the pleasures of volunteering at the Coolidge Presidential Museum at Forbes Library is the interesting people I get to meet. We have visitors from all over the nation and occasionally from a foreign country. It makes one realize the importance of tourism to the local economy.
Recently, the museum was graced by the presence of nine docents from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The group consisted of the full-time staff member in charge of the volunteer docents and eight of her workers. They spent the day and an overnight in Northampton and, for a few hours, brightened up the museum with their questions and enthusiasm. They even inspired a bit of low level poetry.
“Nine Boston docents took the number 18 ramp
Off of route 91 to drive into Hamp.
The first stop was the Smith Art Gallery,
Then across the street to our Forbes Library.
They had a talk and a tour of the Coolidge room,
And out the door to downtown they did zoom.
After a night with some real good food
They left our town in a happy mood.
It was back to Boston so they could attest
Northampton is the swingingest town in the west.”
Rich Szlosek
Northampton