Sarah-Jayne Parsons is the Bluecoat (Liverpool) Gallery's curator. She came into Uni on Monday to tell us about her job, what it entails and how we, as young local artists, can get involved with the gallery. She gave us some really valuable information. My paper was on fire with the amount of notes I took. Here's a few useful things I picked up...
-What is a curator?
A curator is someone who organizes art exhibitions, designs the exhibition, selects the artists that will feature in the gallery and what work they will show. They're also in charge of caring for the objects and works and ensures they are displayed in the best possible way.
-How to become a curator:
Some people take the educational route and others take curating into their own hands. It's a good idea to curate or co-curate your own exhibitions and gain experience this way. There's nothing like the real thing I guess.
- Different types of curators:
It is possible to specialize in different areas of curating, such as photography, painting, sculpture, ancient artefacts, antiques and so on. You can cover all bases also.
- Why are curators relevant?
This can be a spiky subject for some curators, but it is an important question. Curators supply an element of critical thinking. They can respond to artists and ask questions others may not get the opportunity to ask. Most importantly of all, they are able to document and display some really important works of art and history.
- The core elements of practise:
1. Visualise and communicate
2. Research, scholarship and critical thinking
3. Advocate and network
4. Fund raise
5. Manage people (artists, audience and staff)
6. Manage objects and projects (selection of works, production, installation and interpretation)
7. Manage expectations and budgets
