FINAL PROJECT: CURATING A PHOTO EXHIBITION (200 points)

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1 FINAL PROJECT: CURATING A PHOTO EXHIBITION (200 points) Final Project Due: Phase 1 Due: In this visual and writing oriented assignment you are being asked to curate a photographic exhibition. By definition, an exhibition is a display of works of art most often in a gallery, museum or online. Frequently, works of art in an exhibition are tied together with a theme. An exhibition is put together by a curator, an individual whose role is to research, select works of art and write supporting text intended for an audience to visit, see and learn from. CURATOR DEFINITION From the Latin curare - meaning, "to take care." The person in charge of a museum, art collection, or exhibit. A person who selects content for presentation, as on a website, in a gallery, etc. A specialist in their field, or in a specific genre, typically of art or music. If you are the curator of an art exhibit, you choose the artworks it and also decide how they will be displayed For your final project will assume the role of curator, pick a theme and create a photo exhibition, which will be presented as a Power Point. Although some biographical information about the photographers and photographs you select may be necessary to addressing the theme or topic, this project should not simply be a biography of each photographer you include. The writing you will compose should convey what an audience will see and learn from viewing your exhibit. PICKING A THEME In order to begin, you will have to decide on a general, or very specific theme. Themes can range from war, celebrity photography, fashion photography, landscape photography, music photography, Self-Portraiture, women photographers, social issues, immigration, civil rights, poverty, environmental issues, Surrealism or Pictorialism (a former student of mine did his entire project on Gum Bichromate photographs). Other themes I ve seen are about nature, and getting more specific weather. For example: photographs of winter or summer. Other themes I ve seen are that of family, childhood, love, joy, heartbreak or specific emotions. I ve seen an entire project about doors (photographs of doors and their meanings/metaphors). Basically, your options for themes are wide open. COMPLETE PHASE 1 FORM After you have selected your theme and thought about possible project ideas, complete the Phase 1 form. This form is worth 50/200 points toward this project and must be submitted via within one week. Submitting the form via will allow you to receive feedback and help picking out photographers. Phase 1 form can be downloaded on course blog.

2 GET CURATING Your exhibition should include minimum of 15 photographs by at least 4 photographers ranging from photography s beginnings (1839) to the present day. You can select photographs various time periods or focus on one. It is your choice. At least 2 of your selected photographers must be from the textbook. Additional photographers can be researched and found on your own. Selected photographers can have up to 4 photographs in the exhibition. For example: You cannot pick Jacob Riis and include 10 of his photographs. 4 are the maximum per photographer. In addition to selecting the theme and photographs, you are also required to include the following in the presentation: A title Slide with name of exhibition and your name A curatorial Statement: a statement about the exhibition and what viewers of it will see and learn. Your statement should be typed out on slides. A minimum of four paragraphs is expected in your statement. 15 photographs (include name of photographer, title of work in italics and year of work for each photograph. An Exhibition Checklist This is a list of every single photograph in the entire exhibition. This list must be printed out and also integrated into your Power Point. Bibliography/Sources This can be integrated at the end of your Power Point. SUGGESTIONS Too much text on a slide is hard for the audience as well as yourself to read. Space it out. Do not put more than 2 photographs per slide. The slide becomes too crowded to appreciate each image. Put images and text on white or neutral colored slides. It is cleaner and easier to read. A NOTE ON THE CURATORIAL STATEMENT A curatorial statement is a description of the exhibition as well as the reasons for selecting the artists and interpretive considerations. A minimum of three paragraphs is expected here. The discussion should address the following considerations and issues: Introduction Title of Exhibition and listing of all the artists / photographers What is the exhibition about and what does it intend to show or teach? How does each photographer s work relate to the concept theme of the exhibition? How are the selected images related to each other (aesthetically, socially, historically)? What are the personal, psychological, and/or cultural contexts that have shaped the photographers you included? How does the selection, or juxtaposition of photographers and their works cause the audience to consider your chosen theme in a new and inventive way? Or alternately, does the selection cause the audience to rethink a common theme?

3 A NOTE ON THE EXHIBITION CHECKLIST Under each time period heading, the checklist is required to include the following: Artist s name Title of the photograph Year work created The exhibition checklist is required to be printed-out as a hard copy and should also include your name on it. A NOTE ON YOUR BIBLIOGRAPHY Your bibliography should list all materials and sources referenced in selecting the photographers and photographs to be included as well as any referenced articles, websites, books, links, etc. A NOTE ON YOUR RESEARCH Extensive research on selecting the photographs and preparing the exhibition should be conducted, including looking at the textbook, other books and photography-related websites. I urge you to use the following websites as resources and caution you to be wary of many sites you may encounter on the web, which could be incorrect and/or lack factual information, such as Wikipedia. Approved research sites for this project can be found here: Look under the subtitle A NOTE ON YOUR RESEARCH. HOW TO SUBMIT ThIs project should be submitted via PowerPoint or PDF file. Please make sure that your completed project is formatted correctly to open on other computers. The project can be submitted via or turned in on a thumb drive in person. Please remember to print out your Exhibition Checklist. Due to large file sizes you may want to submit your project We Transfer, a free file sharing site. In turn, you can also use Drop Box or Google Drive. IN-CLASS PRESENTATION: You will have 5-7 minutes to present. Rehearse and prepare. You should expect to go over the title of your exhibition, the exhibition s theme, and why you chose this topic, along with showing about a handful or so of images. Pending your speed, you may not have time to show your entire PowerPoint so please, prepare, and practice your presentation before you get up in front of the class.

4 With regard to your presentation, consider it like you are giving us an overview, or a teaser, a trailer, and enticing us to see the exhibition. GRADING SCALE Grade Point Value Range A A B B B C C C D D D F 114 or below EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT TITLE SLIDE

5 CURATORIAL STATEMENT

6 PHOTOGRAPHS EXHIBITION CHECKLIST Under each time period heading, the checklist is required to include the following: Artist s name Title of the photograph photographic work in italics Year work created

7 The exhibition checklist is required to be printed-out as a hard copy and should also include your name on it. BIBLIOGRAPHY Your bibliography should list all materials referenced in selecting the photographers and images included in the exhibition as well as any other critical discussion materials, including websites, books and articles used. For more information and examples, including videos about being a curator and creating an exhibition, please visit: