Self-described life-long learner, Duane Helle has been a student, teacher, builder and restorer of homes and most recently, a docent at the Harn Museum of Art.

Helle grew up in Northern Illinois where he received a Bachelor of Art in Education from the University of Illinois. He moved to Gainesville in 1973 and taught Industrial Arts in Lake Butler for nine years. After teaching Duane started cabinet and furniture making. Helle moved to Alachua in 1989 and began restoring old buildings, including one on Main Street, Alachua that he turned into an ice cream parlor and another that became the space for a deli and catering business. Helle has always been a very active member of the Alachua community and has served on the Alachua Downtown Redevelopment Board. He was the first to recognize the importance of Christmas lighting Main Street and started collecting a small fee from different businesses in order to start this. Helle became a licensed contractor and spent the next few years building many homes and so most people in the area recognize Duane as the guy with the hammer but not the guy with a passion for the arts and might be surprised to find out what Duane Helle has been getting himself into now!

”I’d been to a few museums, but I am by no means an art expert,” Helle said. “My passions for teaching, building and working with my hands led to an enjoyable experience in becoming a docent (volunteer guide). I appreciate art because as a builder, I appreciate the work that the artists put into it.”
When he saw an advertisement announcing the docent-training program at the Harn Museum of Art, he jumped at the chance to learn about art and share that knowledge with others.

“I’m 60 years old, I’ve started reading Hemingway and Faulkner and 19th century literature, so when I saw the docent-training ad, I thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about art.”
As a docent, Helle is part of a special ongoing learning process about exhibitions, and the techniques of leading engaging, interactive tours of the museum’s collections of and Asian, African, Contemporary, Modern and Photographic art.

“The Modern collection is my favorite because I like that time period; so many firsts started during that century,” he said. “I love connecting history with art.”

Helle is also looking forward to the new structure and gardens taking shape on the West side of the museum. The David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing will open on March 31, 2012