Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Curatorial Study Hall Curriculum for Students

MFA Teens

Curatorial Study Hall

Curatorial Study Hall

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At the same time, the museum will benefit from your point of view.

This is an opportunity for museum curators and staff to view works of art from your perspective and to understand how they resonate with you.

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This program puts you into the role of the curator. Throughout the weeks of your work with the museum, you will go through the activities that a curator does as they build new exhibitions. At each stage, you’ll gain skills and experiences that can transfer to other areas of your life.

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1. Get Interested --

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To come up with ideas for shows, curators start by looking at art and following their interests. They keep an eye out for what sparks their curiosity, what connects with them, and what makes them ask questions.

You will learn about the job of the curator and the role of art museums.

What you’ll do: tour the museum, journal about museums and art, get used to analyzing works of art Skills you’ll learn: expanding your curiosity, trusting your gut

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2. Look Closely

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Curators look closely at works of art to figure out what is interesting about them. They conduct a formal reading (how the work is composed, colors, forms, perspective, etc.) and sometimes a narrative reading (how the work connects to historical, biographical, political or other themes).

You will get used to looking at and talking about art.

What you’ll do: deep dive into current exhibitions, consider the artist’s identity in relation to their work, reflect on your internship experience Skills you’ll learn: critical analysis, examining artwork

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3. Research

With a hunch that there’s a story to be told from this object, a curator does research to build a story. There are many different stories, and many different types of research and critical lenses through which to look at art, including formal, historical, biographical, political, and more.

You will deep dive into works that you find compelling and be able to speak with authority about them.

What you’ll do: create your own tour of the museum Skills you’ll learn: primary and secondary research, analysis, using different critical lenses

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Once a proposal is approved, the curator builds “The Checklist.” This is a list of artworks for the exhibit from the museum’s collection and from other institutions.

That dream list gets whittled down over time for different reasons — works may be under conservation treatment, or requests from other institutions may be rejected.

You will explore different types of exhibitions and learn about research methods.

What you’ll do: brainstorm exhibition themes, conduct research, give your museum tour to others Skills you’ll learn: building a convincing, well-reasoned thesis, practicing flexibility in executing on a vision

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The proposal for the exhibition is required to get agreement from the museum to move forward. The proposal is like a sales process, helping the museum understand what audiences this exhibit will attract and what works of art it will highlight.

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4. Crafting a Thesis

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5. Interpretation and Design - -- - -- -- - - -- -- - -

The interpretation team is responsible for the visitors’ experiences of the exhibit. The interpretation team and the curator work together to define the things that they hope all visitors know when they walk out of the exhibit.

The plan includes a set of themes for the exhibition. The various objects in the exhibition support or exemplify these themes.

Space for the exhibit is assigned based on the museum’s exhibition calendar. The curator works with a design team to create an identity for the exhibition. This includes the space design (wall color, where and how works are displayed) as well as the graphic design (typefaces, posters, etc).

The marketing and public relations team develops a strategy to promote the exhibition. This includes creating the title for the exhibition and building the press kit.

You will consider the interpretation plan and design for your own exhibit.

What you’ll do: draft wall labels for works in your exhibit, explore stories that you want to tell through your exhibit Skills you’ll learn: storytelling, attention to detail, summarizing complex ideas

6. Programming and Installation

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The program team develops programs to engage audiences in the exhibition. These may be lectures or facilitated gallery discussions.

After months or years of studying and thinking about these works, the curator and team are finally seeing them all together in real life. The curator, design team, and installation crew are present together throughout installation.

You will consider how to install your exhibition and think about programming to support your goals for the experience.

What you’ll do: brainstorm programming, design your exhibition, craft your final presentation Skills you’ll learn: organizing educational or art-inspired events, empathy for different visitors

7. Final Presentations

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What you’ll do: finalize your proposal and present it.

Skills you’ll learn: presenting and public speaking, communicating your position with conviction

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You will present your exhibition proposal and give your museum tour to leadership.

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There are all sorts of ways for an exhibition to be successful — and always plenty to learn!

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Curators have other markers for success: did the intent of the exhibition match with the impact it had on visitors? Was the curator able to make visitors and critics think about the artwork or the artist in a way they hadn’t considered before? Maybe the museum was able to connect with local organizations or reach new audiences through the curatorial process.

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When an exhibit opens, it is an opportunity for curators to reflect on their work. The museum measures success through visitor attendance, feedback, and critical reviews.

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