Thank you for teaching us to love art, Donna!

If you have visited the Phillips in the last 25 years, you have probably encountered Donna Jonte, our longtime educator. Phillips staff and partners share what it has meant to them and to the museum to have Donna teach you about art.

As a Phillips Educator and as the Head of Experiential Learning, Donna Jonte has worked with and inspired guests of all ages, having led countless tours and family programs both at the museum in Dupont and at Phillips@THEARC. She developed two critical art and wellness programs: weekly virtual guided meditation with Aparna Sadananda in 2020 and the Creative Aging program for older adults with memory loss in 2011, which recently launched Reframing Care with Nephelie Andonyadis. While Donna won’t be at the Phillips full time anymore, she’ll still be around giving tours as a Phillips Educator. Happy semi-retirement, Donna!

From Phillips Educator Carla Freyvogel:

“I have worked with Donna for well over 10 years at both The Phillips Collection and the National Gallery of Art. I can say without a doubt that for Donna the most important thing is not the artwork—it is the person in front of her. She lasers in on whoever is lucky enough to be with her in a museum, be that person an inquisitive child, a curious adult, or a college student. She gives them her undivided attention, validates their personal viewpoints, and makes everyone feel like their insights are important. Her approach and knowledge are amazing. She asks questions that are unfailingly open-ended and she structures lessons with the precision of a world-class architect. And yet, when you are in the moment with Donna, you feel that the conversation about art (and it is always a conversation) is organic and authentic. Her students, her meditation audiences, her Creative Aging participants, and the visiting families leave her orbit appreciating the art by a factor of 50. I am not kidding! But it is not just her kindness and institutional knowledge that makes her so special. Like some of us, Donna has the kind of breath of experience that comes with age. She has had many lives. She is a sister and a mother. She did graduate work in 18th-century English literature. She is an artist, and she was a most beloved art teacher. The breadth of this experience has enriched us all.”

From Phillips Educator Avis Brock:

“It is not possible to speak about Donna Jonte as a museum educator without speaking about Donna as a person. I have been friends with and worked with Donna for a decade, both at The Phillips Collection and the National Gallery of Art. Donna embodies the best qualities in a human being—compassion, curiosity, hard-working, and a belief in the power of community. Because of these qualities, she has the unique ability to work with, engage, and make deep connections with people of all ages and walks of life. Donna creates lessons, programs, and tours of the highest quality, utilizing the latest research in art education. Not only a deep thinker, Donna is also an exceptional listener. This allows her to create spaces for wonderful conversations. Her programs allow people to enjoy, grow and deeply engage with art. She leaves an enduring legacy of skills and a work ethic that should be emulated. Timeless skills that are used by the very best educators today. It is a privilege and a pleasure to know Donna and work with her. I look forward to our continued adventures of creating art, looking at art, and our wonderful discussions about art and life.”

From Phillips Educator Monica Cohen Lenoff

“I want to take a moment to celebrate my dear colleague and friend Donna, whose dedication to the many programs at the museum has left a special mark on our community. For me, Donna has been a guiding light, shaping and strengthening family programs that support children and create a network of care that will benefit generations to come. One of the most inspiring aspects of working alongside Donna has been witnessing her unwavering commitment to making a difference. Whether it was advocating for services, mentoring team members or developing innovative family programs, she approached every situation with compassion and determination. Her ability to see the bigger picture while paying attention to the individual stories of families and individuals has been nothing short of awe inspiring. I have learned so much from Donna—not just about program development and community services but about leadership, kindness, and the power of listening to others. Her impact will be felt for years to come.”

From Phillips Educator Kelly Richman-Abdou

“Community is at the core of The Phillips Collection, and Donna has been the heart and soul of the Phillips’s community for years, engaging in meaningful and memorable ways with countless visitors of all backgrounds and with a wide range of needs. It has been incredibly inspiring to watch her work her museum-y magic, and I am so confident that her influence—the true embodiment of “joy-giving” and “life-enhancing”—will continue to shape the museum for years to come.”

From Theater Artist and Educator Nephelie Andonyadis

“It has been a true gift for me to work alongside Donna Jonte, who embodies rare and powerful combinations of strength and gentleness, compassion and joy, depth and delight, knowledge and curiosity, always open to discover, learn, and grow. The Creative Aging programs that Donna leads offer unique and powerful opportunities for older adults to engage in new ways with art and with each other. Every program meets individuals where they are, opening up participants to personal discoveries. Through shared experiences, we build and sustain communities of discovery, creativity, and care that are vital to meaningful life. Donna is such a strong partner with colleagues, cultivating relationships, modeling leadership, nurturing talent and community, and honoring human and creative commitments. In one of our recent programs, Donna captured the feeling of the group: We create a community of light. No matter the darkness, temperature, mood, or circumstance, Donna is a spark of light, kindness, creativity, solace, healing, and joy. Donna’s work explores, cultivates, and innovates upon Duncan Phillips’s purposeful intention when he opened the collection to the public: to engage the power of the arts to sustain community and humanity.” 

From Yoga Teacher Aparna Sadananda

“Donna is one of the most creative, caring, and thoughtful people I have known. A relentless champion of art and wellness for all, she has led by example. One thing that has always amazed me is her ability to connect and respond to people at an individual level. Also, I’ve learned so much from observing her teaching at art education programs and seminars. Its been my pleasure and privilege to collaborate with Donna on the art-based meditation program for five years, and contribute to creating a space of respite and calm in chaotic times.”