Course Description
This cross-media course develops students’ professional skills for the field including exhibition curation and installation, as well as tools and knowledge for careers in art, design, and related fields. The course includes career path development and the constructs of vision, branding, business practices, and other professional tools.
Athena Title
Capstone Exhibition
Prerequisite
Three 3000-level or above ARST or ARGD or ARID courses
Corequisite
ARST 4140 or ARST 4200 or ARST 4201 or ARST 4345/6345 or ARST 4370/6370 or ARST 4400 or ARST 4420/6420 or ARST 4440 or ARST 4500/6500 or ARST 4620 or ARST 3760 or ARST 4800/6800 or ARST 4925/6925 or ARST 4990R or INTS 4990R or ARGD 4110
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is designed for students to curate a finished body of original work in a final public exhibition and prepare them for entering professional careers in art and design. Students will be required to work collaboratively on exhibition design, developing skills in communication, compromise, tolerance, and reliability. Students will learn professional practices in working with galleries, space design, installation, lighting, and event promotion. Students will be challenged to consider and evaluate potential career paths in art and design fields, including starting one’s own business, as well as related fields that capitalize on abstract problem solving, iteration, creativity, and discursive critique skills developed in the studio art major. Students will develop a professional dossier of materials, such as artist vita, resume, artist bio, artist statement, website, business cards, grant applications, and other professional materials. Students will become familiar with the field through exposure to guest lectures from art and design professionals. Students will be expected to produce professional writing that is stylistically appropriate and mature, and to adapt that writing to specific circumstances and audiences, in both academic and professional contexts.
Topical Outline
Topics of the class include: - Collaborative exhibition design and curating - Exhibition logistics: announcements, press release, social media, labeling and signage, lighting, and installation timetable - Visioning career paths and vision statements - Artist statements - Gallery and biographical statements - Artist vita and artist resume - Branding: websites, web hosting, and social media - Art and the law, selling work, copyright, and taxes - Interviewing - Developing a business plan, contracts, and working with clients