art gallery management // art 193

 

 

To my mind, how things are displayed in galleries and     museums makes a huge difference in how one sees the world.

                                                                                                                              Fred Wilson

Museum installation artist

 

Spring 2005

Wednesday 12:00-4:50

Instructor: Elaine O’Brien

Hours: TR 6-7 PM, W 5-6 PM

Office: 190 Kadema Hall

Phone: 916 278-5704

eobrien@csus.edu

http://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene

 

 

Course Description:

An introduction to the practice and theory of art exhibition and gallery management in a variety of spaces: commercial galleries, non-profit artist-run galleries, university art galleries, museums, alternative spaces and digital exhibitions.  Topics include the history of art display and art exhibition education.  Readings and discussions will help you see how personal, aesthetic, and political ideology shapes curatorial practice. Emphasis is loosely divided between academic learning – from readings, research, writing, class discussion, field trips to art exhibitions, writing a proposal for an art exhibition – and hands-on practice assisting in the production of exhibitions and receptions for the CSUS Else, Witt, and Library art galleries.

 

Course Objectives

  • Increased understanding of the historical, pedagogical, and philosophical considerations of gallery and exhibition practice 
  • Development of practical skills in art gallery installation and management
  • Improved ability to form, clarify, and articulate ideas and values in real and proposed art exhibitions 
  • Advanced skill in writing catalogue essays and entries, didactic materials for exhibitions, press releases, grant proposals
  • Skill at interacting and collaborating with artists and other art professionals  
  • Insight into how the art market works in contemporary art
  • Advancement of career knowledge through meeting curators, gallery owners and other art professionals

 

 

Required Texts:

 

  • Emma Barker, ed., Contemporary Cultures of Display, 1999
  • Articles on reserve in the library:
    • “Constructing the Spectacle of Culture in Museums,” Ivan Karp and Fred Wilson
    • “Noodling Around with Exhibition Opportunities,” Elaine Neumann Gurian
    • “Brokering Identities: Art Curators and the Politics of Cultural Representation” Mari Carmen Ramirez
  • Access to the Internet.  The web is a great resource for art exhibitions. One example of a good site with excellent links is Artforum’s, which provides links to exhibitions worldwide: http://www.artforum.com/index.php?pn=links

 

Other costs:

·         Transportation and admission to galleries and museums in the Sacramento-Davis and Bay Area

·         Camera and image processing 

 

Grade Basis:

 

35% Participation

Attendance is required at weekly classes, field trips, and certain gallery events. Illness and family care emergencies are excused with some kind of proof.  Job duties and scheduled appointments are not excused. Your grade is reduced by half a letter grade after two unexcused absences and after each subsequent unexcused absence. 

 

You will spend about 30 hours this semester helping with shows in the Else, Witt, University Union, or Library galleries in various ways.  Your participation is evaluated by the person you work with on the basis of the quantity and quality of your work and your attitude towards it. 

 

Included in the participation grade is your help with the Art 193 class exhibition, which opens March 14th in the Witt Gallery. In class discussions, field trips, and other activities, a positive attitude can raise your grade by as much as a whole letter grade; a negative attitude can reduce it by as much.

 

20% Reading response papers:  The reading response papers prepare you for class discussions.  The grade is based on how well they do that.

The format is one 2-page (550 word, typed double-spaced, 12-font) response to each “reading” on the schedule, below. Indicate at least two points you would like to discuss.  Turn journal entry in at the end of each class for a mark of check, check plus or check minus.  Late responses receive an automatic check minus and can be turned in anytime.

 

25% Exhibition Diary - Due May 11: The Exhibition Diary is brought to class.  With the Reading Response Papers it is the basis of discussion.  It contains and documents everything you do this semester, including reading response papers, notes from class, discussions, plans and calendars for gallery work, guest lectures and field trips, descriptions of installation shots clipped, printed off the web and/or photocopied, articles about current or historical exhibitions, and your photographs of gallery installations. Identify each photograph. Grade is based on sheer volume! and how attractive, thoughtful, and complete the diary is.

 

20% Exhibition proposal - Due May 11

The proposal includes a 4-page exhibition catalog essay; interpretative material for the gallery (wall texts); the press release and marketing text; and grants and proposals for an exhibition for any actual public space - commercial gallery, university gallery, museum, non-profit, artist-run, internet or alternative.  The format will be explained in further detail in class. It is presented to the class during the last class meeting and graded on strength of concept; imagination; thoroughness and effectiveness of design and plans; and professional appearance.

 

 

Schedule of assignments

Subject to change

 

NOTE: Because you are doing 30 hours of independent work, class only meets from 12:00-2:30 PM except when field trips are scheduled.

 

January 26: Introduction // Exhibition assignments made // plan the Art 193 Witt Gallery exhibition (March 14-18)      

·         Assignment:

·         Meet the person you will be working with for the 30 hour independent study portion of the course.  Write up a contract with him or her spelling out what you will do.  That person will grade you on this part of the course, so be sure you are both clear about what you want to do and when you can do it.

·         Purchase your (loose-leaf) Exhibition Diary binder (paper, dividers, pockets, glue stick, calendar, whatever you think you will need to contain/document your work this semester).  Include the syllabus.

·         Look through current or back issues of art magazines, such as Art News, Artforum, Art in America and Artweek, for ideas for the Witt exhibition.  You can do a web search too, perhaps starting with the Artforum website, above. Photocopy (or cut out if it’s not a library copy) and paste the review / article into the diary. 

·         http://www.collegeart.org/guidelines/curatorial.html  Read the information on this website and print it out for your Exhibition Diary.

 

February 2: Present signed independent study agreements and Exhibition diary with entry // plan the Art 193 Witt Gallery exhibition (March 14-18)

Reading: “Introduction” (pp. 8-21, Barker)

  • Assignment: Look through current or back issues of art magazines.  Photocopy (or cut out if it’s not a library copy) an exhibition review and paste it into the diary.  Indicate location and date, describe the exhibition in a paragraph and add your own commentary. Try to connect the clipped exhibition review to the course readings, exhibition projects, or field trips.

 

February 9: discussion of reading and exhibition diary // plan the Art 193 Witt Gallery exhibition

Reading: pp. 22-72, Barker

  • Write a 400-word press release for the Witt exhibition

 

 

February 16: NO CLASS: O’Brien at art history conference

Reading: Barker pp. 73-10I

  • Assignment: Go to artprice.com http://web.artprice.com/start.aspx and read “Art Market Insights.”  Take notes in your Exhibition Diary to partly prepare you for our visit to a local commercial art gallery.

 

February 23: Commercial art gallery visit (Bring camera)

Reading:  Barker pp. 102-146

  • Assignment: Write a one-page (300-word) analysis of gallery visit
  • Look through current or back issues of art magazines.  Photocopy (or cut if it’s not a library copy) an exhibition review and paste it into the Exhibition diary.  Indicate location and date, describe the exhibition and add your own commentary.  Try to connect the clipped exhibition review to the course readings, exhibition projects, or field trips.

 

March 2: plan the Art 193 Witt Gallery exhibition (March 14-18)

Reading: Barker pp. 147-173

 

CSUS Festival of the Arts, March 7-20.  Your attendance and assistance at the art lectures and events is part of class.

§         March 8: Carrie Mae Weems lecture

§         March 9: Rina Banerjee lecture

§         March 12, 1-5 PM: Art History Symposium

§         March 16: Sandra Davis lecture

  

March 9: Visit to CSUS University Publications & Design and Reprographics

Assignment: Work on Witt gallery exhibition

 

March 13: (Sunday): Install Witt Gallery Exhibition

March 14: (Monday): Witt Exhibition Opening

March 18: (Friday): Witt Exhibition de-installation

 

March 16:

Reading: Barker pp. 174-199

·         Assignment: Help take down the Witt show Friday night (March 18) or Saturday morning (March 19)

 

March 23: No Class - Spring Vacation

Reading: Barker pp. 200-255

  • Assignment: Look through current or back issues of art magazines.  Photocopy (or cut if it’s not a library copy) an exhibition review and paste it into the diary.  Indicate location and date, describe the exhibition and add your own commentary.  Try to connect the clipped exhibition review to the course readings, exhibition projects, or field trips.

 

March 30: Sac City College field trip (Bring camera)

  • Assignment: Write a one-page analysis of the Crocker’s exhibition theory and design practice
  • Look through current or back issues of art magazines.  Photocopy (or cut if it’s not a library copy) an exhibition review and paste it into the diary.  Indicate location and date, describe the exhibition and add your own commentary.  Try to connect the clipped exhibition review to the course readings, exhibition projects, or field trips.

 

April 6:

Reading: “Brokering Identities: Art Curators and the Politics of Cultural Representation” Mari Carmen Ramirez

 

April 13: Visit to Nelson Gallery, U C Davis (Bring Camera)

Reading: “Noodling Around with Exhibition Opportunities,” Elaine Neumann Gurian (photocopy on reserve)

  • Assignment: Write a one-page analysis of the Nelson’s exhibition theory and design practice

 

April 20:

·         Reading: “Constructing the Spectacle of Culture in Museums,” Ivan Karp and Fred Wilson  (photocopy on reserve)

  • Assignment: Look through current or back issues of art magazines.  Photocopy (or cut out if it’s not a library copy) an exhibition review and paste it into the diary.  Indicate location and date, describe the exhibition and add your own commentary.  Try to connect the clipped exhibition review to the course readings, exhibition projects, or field trips.

 

April 27: Visit to Crocker Museum (Bring camera)

  • Assignment: Write a one-page analysis of the Crocker’s exhibition theory and design practice

·         Look through current or back issues of art magazines.  Photocopy (or cut out if it’s not a library copy) an exhibition review and paste it into the diary.  Indicate location and date, describe the exhibition and add your own commentary.  Try to connect the clipped exhibition review to the course readings, exhibition projects, or field trips.

 

May 4: No Class – Make-up field trip to SFMoMA on Saturday May 7. 

·         Assignment:

·         Write a one-page analysis of SFMoMA’s theory and design practice with photographs and/or sketches and notes

·         Prepare Exhibition Diary for class presentation and final grade.  Complete Exhibition Proposal

 

May 7: Saturday field trip to SFMoMA – bring camera and notebook If you are unable to come with the class, you can go on your own.

 

May 11: Submit Exhibition Diary & Exhibition Proposal for final grade and class review