“Kaye is a valuable part of the art education program at the Art Museum of South Texas,” said Fullerton. “Kaye, one of our ‘Docents of the Year’ for 2011, provided 25 school tours last year. She is an independent art educator, who along with the other docents, meets roughly 6 times during the academic year with museum staff to learn about the art museum permanent collection and temporary changing exhibitions. We are so fortunate to have her share her time and expertise with us.”
The Mirador Salute to Seniors Award is presented quarterly to honor an individual who is making a difference in their community. Qualified nominees are active adults age 62 and above who volunteer their time and talents to their communities, and who also exemplify leadership, spirit, and citizenship.
“Our residents at Mirador are so involved in the community and have such an appreciation for the arts,” said Cindy Waldron, executive director at Mirador. “The Art Museum of South Texas is such a wonderful organization, one that our residents enjoy visiting. We are so thankful for Ms. Passmore and the service she is providing to our community and the arts by volunteering as a docent.”
An art educator by trade, Passmore found it a natural fit to volunteer as a docent at the Art Musuem of South Texas. She leads regular tours taking school children through the museum. The goal is to get them to look more closely at the art and think about how it relates to their lives. Sometimes she’ll have other community groups come in for tours.
“Volunteering keeps me connected to the community and the children,” said Passmore. “I hope they can look at the art and understand it and develop an appreciation for it. I hope for it to add enjoyment and richness to their lives. ”
Passmore, 66, spent her career as an art educator. She has taught art education at Rowan University in New Jersey and she worked as a high school art teacher for 15 years. After retiring from teaching, she worked as an art education consultant writing for school art textbooks. When she’s not volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her grandsons.
The mission of the South Texas Institute for the Arts, doing business as the Art Museum of South Texas, is to operate educational facilities and an art museum which advance the awareness, knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts for residents and visitors of South Texas. For more information, visit www.ArtMuseumofSouthTexas.org.
ABOUT MIRADOR
Located in the heart of south Corpus Christi, Mirador is the area’s only full service life care senior living community. The $79 million gated community includes 125 customized independent living apartment homes, each with a fully equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, and 24-hour emergency response system, as well as 44 private assisted living suites, 41 private rooms for dignified nursing care, and 18 private residences for memory support. Designed to enrich the lives of seniors, Mirador features 25,000 square feet of commons areas on a lush 17-acre campus with a premier location close to local restaurants, shops and attractions.
Mirador is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit senior living community sponsored by Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation (SQLC), a Texas-based nonprofit organization that sponsors sister communities Edgemere in Dallas, The Buckingham in Houston, Querencia at Barton Creek in Austin, and The Stayton at Museum Way in Fort Worth. For information, visit www.miradorretirement.com, or call (361) 288-7027.
