Curatorial Thinking: From Object to Exhibition

This course explores the multiple modes of object-based engagement intrinsic to modern curatorial practice, with an emphasis on storytelling through display. Structured around a critical consideration of exhibition making—from concept through execution— the course will introduce the field’s essential topics and methods. Students will use the BGC Study Collection, supplemented by visits to local museums, to build awareness of key issues in the investigation, care, and display of collections, including questions of connoisseurship, quality, conservation status, provenance, and accessibility. Assignments will help students refine their ability to create meaning within the constraints of the typical museum exhibition. This includes participation in preliminary development of a potential Study Collection display. Students will moreover prepare an exhibition using Google SketchUp, carrying out research, selecting objects, and building effective interpretation. Midterm presentations will be an opportunity to workshop the proposed exhibition project. This course is a prerequisite for those intending to submit an Exhibition QP. As in other QP tracks, topics should come out of a pre-existing paper. The faculty advisor under whom the original paper was written, together with the instructor of this class, will share advising for the project. Deadlines and other aspects of the QP process will remain consistent with other tracks. 3 credits. Satisfies the digital literacy project requirement. MDP.