Not so much a Tessitura post as a general customer service one... Has anyone attempted to equip your box office or front of house staff with some Spanish basics? Assisting patrons when there is a language barrier is currently a weak spot for us, and your typical beginner phrases don't quite suffice to explain things such as will call and refund policies. Curious to hear about others' experiences.
A recent Pew Research Center Study cited Dallas-Fort Worth as having the sixth-largest Hispanic and Latino population in the United States. Recognizing the changing demographic that the museum now serves, the Kimbell is working diligently to expand our Spanish-language offerings to this important audience. A volunteer committee of local leaders is assisting the museum's staff with the inititative, affectionately named "Nuestro Kimbell" (Our Kimbell).
Several of the museum's free resources have been translated for "Nuestro Kimbell." The Kimbell's permanent collection audio tours, for both adults and families, are now available in both English and Spanish on new Acoustiguide Opus listening devices and on personal smart devices via the free Kimbell Audio Tour App. The permanent collection wall labels have also been translated and are available on the Kimbell App. The Kimbell's website, www.kimbellart.org, now includes www.kimbellart.org/visita, which provides Spanish translations of the entire "Visit" section. Lastly, the museum has translated, redesigned, and printed Spanish versions of our visitor brochures and six family fallery guides that facilitate observation and discussion of the art in the galleries, with topics including Hispanic Heritage Month, Animal Features, Landscape Details, Sculpture, Portrait Stories, and Dia de los Muertos.
Many of the museum's Visitor Services staff members are bilingual or are learning basic Spanish to communicate more effectively. We provide colloquial translations of all basic customer interaction scenarios, as well as ongoing instruction in day-to-day bilingual communication. Spanish-language docent-led tours are available for our visitors. A new Spanish-language Facebook page has launched, providng updated information about events and museum information.
It's inspiring to hear about such a high level of inclusivity across the organization! Thank you for sharing.