Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Curatorial Study Hall Facilitator Agendas and Worksheets

MFA Teens Curatorial Study Hall Table of Contents Module 1: Get Interested

2

Module 2: Look Closely

7

Module 3: Research

13

Module 4: Crafting a Thesis

16

Module 5: Interpretation and Design

20

Module 6: Programming and Installation

26

Module 7: Final Presentations

30

1

Module 1: Get interested STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Curator sponsor

The objective of this first module is to introduce the teens to the overall arc of the role that they will be taking on. They will learn about what a curator does and begin to become familiar with the role and activities of art museums. Critical to this project, they will learn about why their engagement in this program is important to the museum.

– Teen program manager – Museum docents – Arts education teachers

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL The teens may not be familiar with the museum. This first module begins the process of embedding them in the organization and helping them to fully own the spaces of the museum. Teens get that the museum is a white space and that patrons do not look like them. Having this conversation openly together helps them move towards being able to feel like the museum is their own.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

1 hr PROGRAM INTRODUCTION

1 hr OBSERVING THE SPACE

Curator overview of the job of the curator and the process of organizing an exhibition.

Touring spaces in the museum to observe how they are used.

1 hr PURPOSE OF MUSEUMS AND OF ART MUSEUMS

Discussion of how museums are organized, permanent collections, and modern art.

1 hr CLOSE LOOKING INTRODUCTION Focusing on 3 works from Axelrod Collection, teens and curator explore what can be learned from a work of art just by looking at it and words used to describe art.

2.5 hr ESSAY “The Power of Patience” by Jennifer Roberts 2 hr CURATORIAL ACTIVISM 1 hr ANALYZING ONE WORK Gauguin: Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?

1 hr HOW CAN ART BE USED AS LEARNING TOOL 1 hr IDEAL MUSEUM

1 hr CREATIVE ACTIVITY 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR Three Masterpieces from Asia

What would it have on view?

What kind of art/mediums?

Which artists?

1 hr WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PUT ART “IN CONTEXT”?

1 hr ANALYZING ONE ROOM Using the Curatorial Activism reading as a lens for the analysis of one room in the museum.

2

MODULE 1

Activity: Reading & Looking

DATE

NAME

Vocabulary Sheet: Principles of Art Balance, emphasis, movement, proportion, rhythm, unity, and variety; the means an artist uses to organize elements within a work of art.

Rhythm

A principle of design that indicates movement, created by the careful placement of repeated elements in a work of art to cause a visual tempo or beat.

Balance

A way of combining elements to add a feeling of equilibrium or stability to a work of art. Major types are symmetrical and asymmetrical.

Emphasis (contrast)

A way of combining elements to stress the dierences between those elements.

Proportion

A principle of design that refers to the relationship of certain elements to the whole and to each other.

Gradation

A way of combining elements by using a series of gradual changes in those elements. (large shapes to small shapes, dark hue to light hue, etc)

Harmony

A way of combining similar elements in an artwork to accent their similarities (achieved through use of repetitions and subtle gradual changes)

Variety

A principle of design concerned with diversity or contrast: Variety is achieved by using dierent shapes, sizes, and/or colors in a work of art.

Movement

A principle of design used to create the look and feeling of action and to guide the viewer's eye throughout the work of art.

3

MODULE 1

Activity: Reading & Looking

DATE

NAME

Vocabulary Sheet: Elements of Art The visual components of color, form, line, shape, space, texture, and value.

Line

Shape

An element of art defined by a point moving in space. Line may be two-or three-dimensional, descriptive, implied, or abstract.

An element of art that is two-dimensional, flat, or limited to height and width.

Form

An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width AND depth (as in a cube, a sphere, a pyramid, or a cylinder). Form may also be free flowing.

Value

The lightness or darkness of tones or colors.

White is the lightest value; black is the darkest.

The value halfway between these extremes is called middle gray.

Space

An element of art by which positive and negative areas are defined or a sense of depth achieved in a work of art.

Color

An element of art made up of three properties: hue, value, and intensity: – Hue: name of color – Value: hue's lightness and darkness (a color's value changes when white or black is added) – Intensity: quality of brightness and purity (high intensity= color is strong and bright; low intensity= color is faint and dull)

Texture

An element of art that refers to the way things feel, or look as if they might feel if touched.

4

MODULE 1

Activity: Reflecting

DATE

NAME

Journal Prompts Journal prompts relate to CSH sessions and act as response to lectures, tours and workshops.

1. What is the purpose of museums? What is the purpose of art museums? How do your answers differ?

2. How can art be used as a learning tool?

3. What does it mean to put art "in context"?

4. How can space affect art?

5. How does the artist's identity influence the work?

6. What would your ideal museum have on view? What kind of art/ mediums? Which artists would you choose?

7. Which elements of art stand out? (Observing one painting for 15 minutes) 8. In what ways did the tour guide actively enhance your experience? What could they have done better. Any techniques you will try for your own tour?

9. Does your curatorial approach involve activism? Ex. Bouchra Khalili 10. How would you change the museum to make it more teen-friendly?

11. How did you feel leading a tour? What did you learn about this experience? What feedback did you get and how are you going to go about improving your tour?

12. How will the skills you've learned thus far benefit your future job profession?

13. How has your identity shaped how you see the world? What role does one's identity have in art?

14. What are a few of the things you must keep in mind, in terms of accessibility, when designing anexhibition?

15. How has the museum made it possible for people with different abilities to view art?

16. What would be included in your portrait to represent you? How would you be positioned? Are you posing? Would anyone join you in your portrait? Would you be doing/ holding something? What medium is it?

5

MODULE 1

Activity:

DATE

NAME

Write:

6

Module 2: Look Closely STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Facilitator

Teens will gain fluency in looking at and talking about art. They will build vocabulary and knowledge by directly observing works and discussing them as a group. Exploring the relationship between art and the institution, they will explore the role of museums, relationships between art and spaces, and relationships between museums and communities.

– Museum docents – Education providers

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL The facilitator will work with the teens to establish the cohort’s culture and norms.

They will set expectations around participation and begin to get the teens in the habit of writing about and talking about art. Discourse is a learned skill. Setting expectations early in the program is important, otherwise some young people can recede and others can dominate. Requiring every teen to contribute their thinking levels the playing field.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

2.5 hr CURATORIAL ACTIVISM

1 hr IDENTITY

1 hr STEAM TEAM WORKSHOP

“Tackling White Privilege and Western-Centrism”

How does the artist’s identity influence their work?

Unmasking a cultural identity through the arts

0.5 hr EXHIBITION: GENDER BENDING FASHION How does this exhibition differ from others you have seen? Are there any design elements you want to implement in your exhibition?

0.5 hr 3 IN 30

Does it influence how people see their work?

1 hr TOUR REFLECTION What are your takeaways from the tour? How did the tour guide actively enhance your experience? What could they have done better? Are there any techniques you would use in the future?

1 hr HOW DOES SPACE AFFECT ART? How does the space art is in impact how it is viewed? How does art interact with its surroundings?

1.5 hr MFA EDUCATION SERIES Learning to See 1 hr MEDITATION 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR Museum highlights 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR Art of Europe 1 hr CREATIVE ACTIVITY Fashion design activity 2 hr SCAVENGER HUNT

7

MODULE 2

Activity: Reading & Looking

DATE

NAME

Tackling White Privilege and Western-Centrism Vocab Handout Write the deďŹ nitions of the terms to the best of your ability using context clues from the text: White Privilege:

Write:

White Supremacy:

Western-Centrism:

The "Other" (as described in essay):

Diversity:

Inclusion:

lntersectionality:

Caricature:

Visibility:

8

MODULE 2

Activity: Other

DATE

NAME

MFA Boston Scavenger Hunt

1. Four Individuals defy gravity and are suspended in mid-air. What is the title of this contemporary (HINT) piece and what is the artist's name?

Write:

2. This exhibition acts as an intersection of media and fashion. Jeffery, a well-known rapper, modeled this gown on his album cover. Name the designer of the gown: 3. Find the piece in the Rotunda that visitors are encouraged to touch. Take a picture with everyone on your team touching it!

4. There is a mansion fit for a doll house in the museum. How many rooms does this miniature dollhouse have?

5. The museum houses a painting that illustrates museum visitors looking at a sculpture.

Find the sculpture and recreate the painting.

Take a picture.

6. Juno is the largest classical sculpture in the nation. After her arrival to the U.S. what city was Juno found in?

7. Find a painting where the figurative subject avoids the audience's gaze. Snap a picture or include the title and artist.

8. In the MFA's new exhibition, housed in the Gund Gallery, there are 3 instruments. What are they?

9. This artist is most well-known for her polka-dots, which can be seen in the Linde Gallery. What does she say her polka-dots represent?

9

MODULE 2

Activity: Other

DATE

NAME

MFA Boston Scavenger Hunt 3.

image

5.

image

7.

Image (optional)

10

MODULE 2

Activity: Other

DATE

NAME

MFA Boston Scavenger Hunt ANSWER SHEET

1. Four Individuals defy gravity and are suspended in mid-air. What is the title of this contemporary (HINT) piece and what is the artist's name?

2. This exhibition acts as an intersection of media and fashion. Jeffery, a well-known rapper, modeled this gown on his album cover. Name the designer of the gown:

I Dreamed I Could Fly, Jonathan Borofsky Alessandro Trincone

3. Find the piece in the Rotunda that visitors are encouraged to touch. Take a picture with everyone on your team touching it!

4. There is a mansion fit for a doll house in the museum. How many rooms does this miniature dollhouse have?

9

5. The museum houses a painting that illustrates museum visitors looking at a sculpture.

Find the sculpture and recreate the painting.

Take a picture.

6. Juno is the largest classical sculpture in the nation. After her arrival to the U.S. what city was Juno found in?

Brookline, MA

7. Find a painting where the figurative subject avoids the audience's gaze. Snap a picture or include the title and artist.

8. In the MFA's new exhibition, housed in the Gund Gallery, there are 3 instruments. What are they?

9. This artist is most well-known for her polka-dots, which can be seen in the Linde Gallery. What does she say her polka-dots represent?

Horn, Double Bass, Bassoon

Eternity

11

MODULE

Activity: Reflecting

DATE

NAME

Mid-Summer Check-In Accompanied by 5 minute lunch check-in with facilitators

1. What has been challenging?

Write:

2. What have you enjoyed?

3. What do you expect to gain from the internship?

12

Module 3: Research STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Facilitator

Teens take a deep dive into specific works and practice talking about these works with authority to demonstrate their expertise and perspective. By beginning to build their own tours of the museum, they are able to learn about building narratives and insights across works. At the same time, they are introduced to the works that they will work with for their own exhibit. They explore some of the themes and artists that are central to the collection they will be working with.

– Museum docents – STEAM team

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL The group is more comfortable in the museum and looking at and talking about art. In this module, the teens go deeper to explore how art connects to them as individuals, and the potential impact art can have for people.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

1 hr ESSAY

1.5 hr IMAGINING YOUR PORTRAIT

4 hr TOUR PREPARATION

1.5 hr STEAM TEAM WORKSHOP

“African American Art” by Sharon Patton

What would be included in your portrait to represent you? How would you be positioned? Are you posing?

Would anyone join you in your portrait? Would you be doing/holding something?

What medium is it?

Building a tour of the museum.

Artful Healing

“Twentieth Century America and Modern Art 1900-60” 1.5 hr INSTALLATION: BOUCHRA KHALILI “POETS AND WITNESSES” What was the video about?

What did you learn from the video? How would you best describe Jean Garnet?

Anything said about Boston resonate with you? What did Douglas Miranda say about white supremacy and Black exploitation? Did the Black Panther Party fail? Why wouldn’t the Black Panther succeed today? What does the phrase “Prisoner of Love” mean?

1 hr “DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS” How do you define “pan-Africanism”? Which artists defined “The New Negro Movement”? Who are Alain Locke and W.E.B. DuBois?

0.5 hr CONTEMPORARY ART What makes a work considered “contemporary art”? Who creates contemporary art?

Researching, scripting and crafting the narrative.

Practicing and reviewing.

1.5 hr STEAM TEAM WORKSHOP Accessibility 1.5 hr MFA EDUCATION SERIES Learning to See 1 hr CREATIVE ACTIVITY Fashion design activity 0.5 hr PHOTOSHOOT 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR Gallery 171 and 172 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR Art of the Ancient World

13

MODULE 3

Activity: Reading & Looking

DATE

NAME

Bouchra Khalili Worksheet

1. What was the video about?

Write:

2. What did you learn from the video?

3. How would you best describe Jean Gamet?

4. Anything said about Boston resonate with you?

5. What did Douglas Miranda say about white supremacy and Black exploitation?

6. Did the Black Panther Party fail?

7. Why wouldn't the Black Panther Party succeed today?

8. What does the phrase "Prisoner of Love" mean?

14

MODULE 3

Activity: Making & Doing

DATE

NAME

Project Proposal - Personal Tour: Creating Your Own Narrative Description In conjunction with the projects planned for the Bloomberg, BASE and BAM interns, the teens will have the opportunity to highlight their favorite pieces on display. Throughout the first 2 months the teens will develop skills that help them examine, understand and contextualize artwork. The projects planned will help guide their thinking and prepare them for a more independent application. The workshops and programs are designed to help the teens become comfortable using art language. The teens will be provided with an hour during the day to independently explore and navigate the museum's corridors.

In order to display knowledge of the material, the teens must demonstrate the ability to facilitate conversations about the artwork. Using this hour (and possibly other time to research) the teens will be asked to compile a list of 4 or 5 works that spark interest, joy or curiosity. Equipped with basic research of the artist and the work, they will present their pieces to the other interns. Each week one intern will present their tour to each others and open the door for conversation, discussion and other observations. This exercise will help hone research skills, practice developing themes and connecting works.

The project's title, Personal Tour: Creating Your Own Narrative, highlights how each teen will gravitate toward different mediums, subjects and time periods. Creating a tour will give the teens a sense of mastery or expert knowledge on a few pieces in the museum's collection. Being able to confidently talk about a piece will help with their willingness to analyze pieces they have never encountered.

Timeline Teens will be given time to roam freely in between programs and workshops. If time permits, they can research their pieces during off time as well. Each intern will have a designated day to present their tour and one tour will be given per week. All interns must participate in their peers’ tours through vocalizing observations and connecting them to what the tour guide has mentioned.

15

Module 4: Crafting a Thesis STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Curator presenters

At this stage, the emphasis shifts from learning to production. Teens begin thinking about building their own exhibitions, even as they continue to develop their museum tours. The group learns about the work that sparks an exhibition thesis: exploring themes, types of exhibitions and research.

– Facilitator – Museum docents

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL Teens move from receiving information into making meaning of it and producing their own knowledge. They are the agents of their learning experience, and the role of adults is to facilitate this learning and creation.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

1 hr EXHIBITION DEVELOPMENT WITH AKILI TOMMASINO

2 hr CONTEMPORARY ART READING

1 hr TYPES OF EXHIBITIONS

1.5 hr SAMPLE TOUR BY FACILITATOR WITH FOLLOW UP DISCUSSION

1 hr MUSEUM TOUR

2.5 hr ESSAY

What is the type of exhibition?

What characteristics of this gallery led you to this conclusion?

What are some different types of exhibitions or installations?

Which themes or stories can we draw out from a group of works of art? Why is it important for an exhibition to have a thesis?

Brainstorm: themes for our exhibition 1.5 hr RESEARCH METHODS WITH ANITA BATEMENT How can we learn more about a work of art or artist? When viewing an object we’ve never seen before, where do we start? Which resources are reliable?

“The Power of Patience” by Jennifer Roberts 1 hr PROGRAM EVALUATION BAI SITE VISIT

Select a gallery or galleries to study.

How could I have improved my tour? What did I do well that you want to implement?

Introduction to the Contemporary Collection 1 hr MEDITATION

1 hr TOUR PREPARATION How could I have improved my tour? What did I do well that you want to implement?

6 hr TEEN TOURS Dispersed throughout the module, tours by each teen followed by discussion

Brainstorm: research questions for our exhibition

16

MODULE 4

Activity: Reflecting

DATE

NAME

Toulouse-LauTrec Worksheet

1. List 3 design elements of the Toulouse-LauTrec exhibitions.

Write:

2. Would you implement any of those elements into your own exhibit?

3. How has making/giving and receiving tours shaped your understanding of exhibitions?

17

MODULE 4

Activity: Making & Doing

DATE

NAME

Post-Tour Worksheet

1. List three facts you learned from this tour.

Write:

2. What did the tour guide do well?

3. What could they have done better?

4. Was the tour placed in context?

If so, how did that help your understanding of the material?

18

MODULE 4

Activity: Reading & Looking

DATE

NAME

Lunch Discussion Do these works connect? Is there a common theme/story among them?

Write:

Heitor dos Prazeres Frevo da Casa Verde, 1958

Paulo Pedro Leal Sessao Espirita (Seance), ~1960

Maria Auxiliadora da Silva lncendio (Fire), 1973

19

Module 5:

Interpretation And Design

STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Curator & interpretation presenters

The teens continue along their curatorial journey, learning about interpretation and beginning to consider specific works for their own exhibition. Through a range of readings, they investigate the Black Modernist artists who will comprise their exhibits.

– Facilitator

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL

– STEAM and TAC teams

Teens consider how to make their thesis and insight meaningful to visitors. They should feel a sense of mastery over the content, as they think about how to engage others in their perspectives.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

1.5 hr INTERPRETATION

1 hr ESSAY

1.5 hr TEEN TOURS

1 hr CREATIVE ACTIVITY

How can we best communicate with our visitors? What are some guidelines for writing labels?

“Art by African Americans in the MFA, Boston

Dispersed throughout the module, tours by each teen followed by discussion

Activity: identifying stories and drafting labels for works of art 2 hr CLOSE LOOKING INTRODUCTION Focus on Black Modernists in the collection Discussion and worksheet: which objects are the most compelling? Which stories should we tell?

”Elliot David in Common Wealth 2.5 hr ESSAY Davis and Gaither docs What exhibitions has Gaither curated at the MFA? How did the NCAAA come to be? How long did it take the MFA to exhibit black artists? How did these essays differ?

3.75 hr STEAM ACTIVITY Tour of Microsoft Garage 1 hr TOUR REFLECTION What was the best part?

Would you use the app? How is the app useful? List one thing you learned 2 hr MFA TEEN ARTS COUNCIL Fashion show

20

MODULE 5

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

Close Looking Workshop

1. Shapes: Where do you see geometrical shapes like circles, squares, triangles, cones, etc? Do you see any repeating shapes or patterns? Are some shapes larger or smaller than others?

Write:

2. Lines: Where do you see straight lines, curves, diagonals, etc? Are some lines thicker or thinner than others?

3. Colors: Which colors do you see? Where is the lightest light? The darkest dark?

4. Textures: Can you see any brushstrokes?

Where does the paint look thickest and where does it look the thinnest?

21

MODULE 5

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

Interpretation Adam Tessier, Head of Interpretation A few guidelines for label writing Labels should be short (75 words or less), use clear, direct language, and be linked to the act of looking. I always advise label writers to begin by looking at the work of art, or a picture of it, before writing anything down. Then walk away for a few minutes, come back with fresh eyes, and look again. I also advise writers to stand up when they are writing and reading their label texts: that's how visitors read labels, after all!

When you look at a work of art, think about the kinds of questions you bring to it. Think about what your friends or family members might wonder while looking. Think about how you can address those questions while also surprising your reader, telling them something that will connect to their own experience, or asking them a question that will give them something new to ponder. In the end, the goals are for folks to look and look again; to see the work of art on its own terms and on their terms; and to have the experience of looking stick with them for a long time.

22

MODULE 5

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

Interpretation Adam Tessier, Head of Interpretation What is interpretation?

The term “interpretation” describes the place where art, content, and experience meet in our galleries. In practical terms, interpretation is what we do to create platforms for people to engage with works of art and their stories and connect their own ideas and experience to the art they’re viewing.

Types of interpretive approaches include: – – – – – – –

Texts Videos Audio/multimedia guides Interactive screens Sound Tactile/touch experiences Visitor response mechanisms (comment cards, books, etc.)

The creation of interpretation comes from a process called interpretive planning. Most often, exhibition designers, interpretation planners, and curators collaborate on the ideas, narrative, arrangement of works, and overall experience of exhibitions and galleries. The interpretive approaches (labels, videos, etc.) are chosen to support the overall experience that team hopes to create.

Who makes interpretation happen?

Traditionally, curators and educators collaborated to create interpretation. That still happens a lot, and it reflects an historic valuing of certain types of expertise.

Increasingly, museums like the MFA are seeking to embrace other perspectives and forms of expertise in interpretation diversifying who "speaks" for the art, and seeking to move the dial a bit from speaking "to" our visitors to speaking "with" them. We also seek to change the ways in which interpretation gets made from the outset, including outside perspectives in the process of interpretive planning as well as the creation of interpretive approaches.

23

MODULE 5

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

Interpretation/Label Writing Workshop

1. What was the ďŹ rst thing that stood out to you in the painting? When you looked again what did you notice that you hadn't seen the ďŹ rst time?

Write:

2. What do you think is the most important visual aspect of the painting?

3. What does the painting seem to tell you about the people or places depicted, and what would you like to know more about?

4. What does the painting tell you about the artist who made it?

After looking, what questions do you have about that artist?

5. What would you like to know about the time period in which this painting was created?

6. Does this painting make you think of other stories or themes, or bring to mind an experience you've had personally?

24

MODULE

Activity: Reflecting

DATE

NAME

Lunch Discussion

1. How is this internship preparing you for your future careers?

Write:

2. What skills have you developed this summer that could contribute to your future academic pursuits?

25

Module 6:

Programming and Installation

STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Installation & program presenters

With a clear idea of their own exhibition thesis, teens learn about installation and programming, considering how to engage visitors in the narrative they are building.

Expectations are made clear for their final proposal presentations, and the teens are given more open time to build their proposals.

– Museum leadership – Facilitator

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL The teens work more independently, with a clear sense of what they must accomplish and activities interspersed that help inform this thinking.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

1.5 hr INSTALLATION

1 hr CURATORIAL ACTIVISM

1 hr INSTALLATION

2 hr EXHIBITION DESIGN

How does the way people walk through an exhibit determine a work’s placement? How far apart should you space works on a single wall? How did Erica explain how she gets visitors to travel through spaces “correctly” with two entrances?

Design of teens’ own exhibitions

1 hr LUNCH WITH LEADERSHIP TEAM

Erica Hirshler of Hyman Bloom Installation How can we create conversations between objects? Examples of effective and less effective installations in the AoA Wing Brainstorm: installing our exhibition spaces 1.5 hr PROGRAMS What are programs and why do we need them? Examples of effective and less effective programs.

Brainstorm: programs for our exhibits

3.5 hr PRESENTATION PREP Preparation for presentation to exhibition review team

1 hr MEDITATION 1 hr SCHOOL GROUP VIDEO 1 hr MFA DEI ROUNDTABLE 1 hr MUSEUM TOUR 2 hr SCAVENGER HUNT

26

MODULE

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

FINAL PROJECT: MFA Exhibition Proposal As your final project for Curatorial Study Hall, please propose an exhibition for one gallery at the MFA. The gallery (the Lower Rotunda, the Sharf Visitor Center, or the Hemicycle) will be randomly assigned to you, and your exhibition should include between 6 and 12 works of art. You can choose the works of art from the packet of 45 images (which includes works that you have seen and studied this summer), and you can also find additional objects on the Museum's website: https://collections.mfa.org/collections

You will share your proposal with your peers through an oral presentation, as well as offer feedback on their proposals. Presentations should last 5 to 10 minutes and answer the following questions: 1. What is the theme (or story) of your exhibition?

You can use a theme that we have discussed this summer, such as music, portraits, social justice/Black Power, artists from Boston, or come up with a new theme.

2. How will the works of art be installed in the gallery? How will you "use" the space?

Think about which works of art will hang together and how people will enter the space and see them.

3. What do you want MFA visitors to learn from your exhibition?

Tell us about the goal of your project.

Please also provide written responses to these questions on the attached worksheet, and complete the Sample Label worksheet.

27

MODULE

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

FINAL PROJECT: MFA Exhibition Proposal

1. What is the theme (or story) of your exhibition?

Write:

2. How will the works of art be installed in the gallery? How will you "use" the space?

3. What do you want MFA visitors to learn from your exhibition?

4. Exhibition Gallery (pick one): Lower Rotunda , Sharf Visitor Center, Hemicycle

5. Number of works of art in your exhibition:

6. Title of your exhibition:

28

MODULE

Activity: Curatorial Study Hall

DATE

NAME

FINAL PROJECT: MFA Exhibition Proposal - Sample Label In the space below, write a label for the work of art. Your label should be about 3 sentences long and include or reference the ideas that you have written above. It can also include additional information about the artist and the time period.

Choose one work of art in your exhibition and please answer the following questions:

Write:

1. What do you think is the most important visual aspect of this work of art?

2. How does this work of art relate to the theme of your exhibition?

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Module 7:

Final Presentations

STAKEHOLDERS

LEARNING GOAL

– Curator sponsor

Working towards a final presentation of their exhibition proposals, teens spend much of this module practicing and refining their presentations. The goal of this program is, of course, for the Museum to learn from the teens even as they learn from Museum staff; the teens giving their tours to Museum leadership is an opportunity for this goal to be realized.

– Museum leadership – Facilitator

EXPERIENTIAL GOAL This culminating stage is a celebration of the teens’ work, learning and contribution.

Teens are aware of their own expertise and points of view and are able to represent these with strength to others in a range of power positions.

Allocated time per activity

= 1 hour

Curatorial Study Hall

Reading & Looking

Reflecting

Making & Doing

Other

An opportunity to learn from and work with Museum curators and other staff.

Rich material to help build the context and language for conceiving an exhibit.

Building in time to think about the big picture, build perception and insight, and strengthen communication.

Synthesizing and applying the skills and knowledge gained by interpreting the museum.

Additional activities to access the Museum and their own creativity.

2 hr FINAL PRESENTATION PREPARATION

2 hr CURATORIAL ACTIVISM

1 hr TOUR WITH MAKEEBA

8.5 hr FINAL PRESENTATION PREP

Students create exhibition proposals using thumbnail images and a floorplan, tell a story using a group of objects, or draft wall labels 2 hr FINAL PRESENTATION Which objects are most important to include in our exhibition? How should the spaces be used? Which stories do we need to tell on the labels?

“A Call to Arms: Strategies for Change” How will your exhibition engage the audience in deeper thinking? How does the author believe we should handle discriminatory exhibits? How is your exhibition inclusive?

1 hr TOUR WITH MUSEUM DIRECTOR

2 hr CURATORIAL ACTIVISM “Mining the Museum” What characteristics would you like to implement in your exhibition? Describe the response this exhibition received

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MODULE 7

Activity: Reading & Looking

DATE

NAME

"A Call to Arms: Strategies for Change" Questions

1. How will your exhibition engage the audience in deeper thinking? What will the viewer take away from it?

Write:

2. How does the author believe we should handle discriminatory exhibits? How would you handle them?

3. How is your exhibition inclusive? If not, why not?

4. What are some examples of how artists, individuals and groups have responded to racist or sexist practices?

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MODULE 7

Activity: Reflecting

DATE

NAME

Program Feedback Give us your feedback!

Which Curatorial Study Hall session was your favorite? Circle at least one session and feel free to write why!

Looking Closely at Art Instructor: Layla Bermeo, Associate Curator of Paintings, Art of the Americas, MFA

Types of Exhibitions Instructor: Akili Tommasino, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, MFA

How to do Research Instructor: Anita Bateman, Ph.D. candidate, Duke University

"Think Tank" on Black Modern Artists Instructors: Martina Tanga, Research and Interpretation Associate, MFA and Independent Curator, Layla Bermeo, Associate Curator of Paintings, Art of the Americas, MFA

How to Install Galleries Instructor: Erica Hirshler, Senior Curator of American Painting.s, MFA

Programs Instructor: Deidra Montgomery, Manager of Lectures, Courses, and .

Concerts, MFA

Write:

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MODULE 7

Activity: Reflecting

DATE

NAME

Program Feedback Give us your feedback! Page 2

1. What did you learn in the sessions that was most helpful for completing your final project? Did you keep anything in particular in mind while working on your exhibit proposal?

Write:

2. Was there anything that you were hoping to learn about museum or curatorial work that we did not cover this summer?

3. What would you change in order to improve the Curatorial Study Hall program?

4. Think about how you felt about the MFA before your summer internship. Do you feel the same or differently now? If you feel differently, how have your feelings changed?

5. Do you plan to visit the MFA again? If so, what will you see or do during your visit?

6. Additional questions or comments:

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