Course Title: 01:082:462 Workshop in Curatorial Practices
Credit not given for this course and 01:512:310
Academic Credits: 3 credits
Open to Art History majors, minors and Studio Art majors By special permission of instructor for all others
Special permission required.
Mode of Instruction: Seminar
Course Prerequisites and Corequisites: None
Core Curriculum: None
Course Description:
Practical experience for students interested in curatorial work in museums and/or galleries. Investigation of various responsibilities of museum professionals through field trips to museums and galleries in New York. Organizing exhibitions and preparing accompanying catalogs.
This course explores the complexities involved in the practice of curating. Exhibitions and the display of objects are intertwined with the discipline of art history but are subject to particular limitations that may be budgetary, spatial, or institutional. Unlike art histories written for books or journals, which assume an audience of specialists or art history students, exhibitions are typically aimed towards general publics. Dependent on complex coordination between different parties, exhibitions are predicated on teamwork, but the labor that they engender is largely invisible. Also invisible—until recently—are the power structures and special interests that determine the direction of museums. Regardless of the topics they address, exhibitions are grounded in the present and their execution and reception may be affected by the context and circumstances of the day.
This course explores the intricacies of curatorial practice from both a theoretical lens and though real-world perspectives. In addition to readings, discussions, and class presentations, field trips to museums, conversations with artists and curators, and independent visits to exhibitions are an integral part of the curriculum. Students will also provide input into the professor’s current curatorial projects.
Topics to be covered may include: case studies around museums and exhibitions, art and activism, curating inclusively, diversity in art history and its institutions, the global economy of the art world, power dynamics in curatorial practice, the purpose and authority of art criticism, the curator as translator, and the ethics of representation
Prior coursework in modern and contemporary Art History is recommended.
Required and Recommended Course Materials:
There is no textbook required for this course. Readings and announcements will be posted on Sakai: sakai.rutgers.edu. Please log in regularly for updates.
Assignments:
Students are expected to maintain active class participation, read assigned texts in advance of class, attend every class session and field trip, orally present readings and other assignments, and turn in writing assignments by their deadline.
Attendance:
This class only meets once a week, so perfect attendance is expected. Unexcused absences will result in deductions from the final grade. If you have to miss class, please use the University absence reporting website https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An email is automatically sent to me.
Grading:
- Class participation / Oral presentations (25%)
- Short papers (50%)
- Final paper (25%)
Instructor:
Professor Tatian Flores
Disclaimer: These course descriptions/synopses pages have been provided as samples and the information should not be considered accurate or current. For actual course information, refer to the course site hosted by a Rutgers Learning Management System (Sakai, Canvas, etc.) as of first day of class.
