Research and Curate Your Own Art Exhibition
Research and Curate Your Own Art Exhibition
Imagine that you are an art curator and that you have an unlimited budget to curate any art exhibition that your heart desires as long as it is about one of the five topics listed above. You can rent or buy any space or any building for this project. Artworks can include sculpture, murals, architectural structures or anything related to the topic you choose. The sky is the limit! You can fly in works from all over the world. Your paper will explain how your art show demonstrates ideas inspired by these topics using at least six pieces of art from two different artists and from two different eras or cultures. These works should educate the viewer. Your job is to explain to us how the art you’ve selected proves or reveals to us your thesis and what the art proves about the artists’ intent or their place in history.
Your Art Curator Project Final (art exhibition) will be a paper of 1500-2000 words, with images. You must include at least 3 “block by block” or “point by point” comparisons between your six artworks. Formal analysis and comparisons are methods you will use which will be practiced throughout the class building up to your Art Curator Project. Choose 6 works that are similar enough to make sense together but different enough to create dynamic and exciting comparisons. There are materials in the course labeled “How To Write A Comparison in Art History” which will be helpful for this. Each comparison should help to prove the thesis of your paper. Through comparisons we will see how form and content work together to create meaning in art.
Checklist of The Art Curator Project Final
Title of your exhibition
Clearly stated thesis (this is not the same as the topic) (See “Just what is a thesis in art history” Week 1 Lecture)
Word doc of 1500-2000 words
Include discussion, analysis of artworks by at least 3 different artists/eras/cultures (See “How to Look at Art”)
Include images of the (at least 6) artworks, correctly labeled to match captions in textbook.
Note: Up to 2 of the 6 arts works may come from the textbook. Find the rest from reliable sources such as museum sites and the Course Resources in each Week. Be sure to include identification of each.
Include at least 5 resources. You may use the textbook for one. Wikipedia does not count. Two resources must be from journals. See the following big tip. Get help from the NU Librarian!
Include at least 3 comparisons (See “How to Write a Comparison in Art History”, in either block by block and/or point by point).
Bibliography of sources: Cite your sources correctly in MLA format. MLA formatting and how to cite correctly is at: OWL Purdue .
Indicate which topic you’ve selected.
Be sure to include a clear statement of what you would like viewers of your exhibit to learn, understand, or appreciate about these works or about the common theme from viewing it.
Topic
Choose one of the topics for your Art Curator Project: (See “Topics for The Art Curator Project” in Week 1).
Topic 1: Contexts and Influences of 19th to 21st Century Art Movements
Topic 2: Art as Communication
Topic 3: Non-Western Influences on Modern & Contemporary Art
Topic 4: Developments and Influences of Italian Renaissance
Topic 5: How Painters Use Photography & Technology
Big Tip
Get help from the NU Librarian. Ardeth Palma is familiar with this assignment and will help you take your Art Curator Project to a higher level.
Contact your librarian Ardeth Palma at apalma@nu.edu
Fill out this form to schedule a 1-hour virtual research consultation using LibWizard and she will be happy to work with you on how to find the best resources for your assignment.
Visit the National University Library and check out our Student Resources Guide for additional research help.
Explore our art-specific research databases here: A-Z Databases: Arts .
Due Dates
Curator Project Prep: Due Sunday of Week 3
Curator Project Final: Due Sunday of Week 4
Special Details for Posting Your Art Curator Project
he Art Curator Project has two parts:
Due Week 3: The Art Curator Project Prep
Due Week 4: The Art Curator Project Final
You will post each part of The Art Curator Project twice
Once as an Assignment (to me for points and feedback).
Once to a Discussion Board, to share with and provide each other with comments.
There are two links in each of weeks 3 and 4 for these posting.
Important: The order you post each one is crucial.
You must first post each part of your work, (Prep and Final), as an Assignment. This establishes you, via SafeAssign, with credit as the original creator.
Next, and only after you have posted your work as an Assignment, you will post it in the relevant Discussion Board, for everyone to see and provide commentary and feedback.
Guidelines: Art Curator Project Prep The Art Curator Project is a new concept. The goal of this project is for you to create for yourself (and share with all of us) a unique art exhibition of works from Western Art History. There are no limits or budget constraints on this art exhibition. The Art Curator Project Prep due week three provides crucial items and evidence of your thinking and choices. Steps Listed are the steps in preparation for you Art Curator Project Prep. Read The Art Curator Project Final Guidelines in Week 1. Read “Topics for The Art Curator Project” in Week 1. Review links and videos to help you choose one of the topics for your Art Curator Project. Scan through the book and note what art works catch your attention. Trust this instinct. Note which artworks or eras you’ve already written analyses or comparisons. Choose the medium you are most interested in. It might be painting, architecture or sculptures, etc. Find at least 3 artists, eras, or cultures you are interested in studying further. Find at least 6 artworks of these artists that you are interested in including in your art exhibition. Note: Up to 2 of the 6 arts works may come from the textbook. Find the rest from reliable sources such as museum sites and the Course Resources in each Week. Include 2 resources from journals. Be sure to include identification and cite your sources correctly in MLA format. MLA Formatting and how to cite correctly is at: Purdue OWL . Big Tip: Get help from the NU Librarian, Alex Plante, through email: Aplante@nu.edu. This will help you take your Art Curator Project to a higher level. Fill out this form to schedule a 1-hour virtual research consultation: LibWizard and she will be happy to work with you on how to find the best resources for your assignment. Visit National University Library and check out our Student Resources Guide for additional research help. Explore our art-specific research databases here: A-Z Databases: Arts . Once you have the art works selected: Identify each work: culture, location, date, medium, artist, and location. In one or two sentences, explain why you selected each work. This is the beginning of a thesis. Not just your opinion, but moving towards what you want to prove to us about your selections. Refer to the questions under each topic. Required Items for Your Art Curator Project Prep Selected topic from list Title Thesis statement Introductory paragraph: Begin with a “hook,” then introduce your topic in 3-4 sentences, and include your thesis statement as the last sentence in the introduction. As a reminder, the thesis statement provides a strong central argument for the paper, not a statement of your paper’s topic. Create a 300+ Outline of your paper. Be sure to include all 6 artworks and why selected (i.e. how each one supports your thesis and relates to the topic.) This should indicate how you will break down your topic and how you intend to support your thesis. Include the 3 comparisons you are making between the 6 artworks you’ve selected. Tell us why. The outline should be in outline format that clearly shows your paper’s organization and hierarchy of ideas. You are expected to submit at least one full written page of specific researched detail for your paper, not an outline with placeholders for future information. Include mages of the artworks, with links and correctly cited and identified in a format to match the textbook captions. Remember First, post your Art Curator Project Prep as an Assignment. This allows for instructor feedback and protection of your work. This way you will have credit as originator of content. Wait until you get SafeAssign confirmation. Second, post the same work to the Discussion Board for others to see and provide you with feedback. Be sure to include: A main posting (50% of points). Two substantial response posts (50% of points). Note: main postings and response postings have the same percentage value. Due Dates Curator Project Prep: Due Sunday of Week 3 Curator Project Final: Due Sunday of Week 4 Special Details for Posting Your Art Curator Project The Art Curator Project has two parts: Due Week 3: The Art Curator Project Prep Due Week 4: The Art Curator Project Final You will post each part of The Art Curator Project twice:
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