Curatorial Practice and American Art at the Metropolitan Museum: A Chipstone Foundation-Bard Graduate Center Collaboration

Over the last six years, building on past strength, the American Wing has gained a reputation for its innovative initiatives. Without neglecting established areas of interest, the American Wing has expanded its collecting to include Latin American art and Native American art, as well as increasing its attention to African American art and art from hitherto neglected areas. The American Wing has been adding new acquisitions, loans, and interpretations to the 2012 gallery framework. It has also created a number of new long-term displays and temporary exhibitions. The purpose of this seminar is to examine the curatorial research and planning such projects entail. All classes will be held in the American Wing where each week one or more members of staff of the American Wing—fifteen in all— will present a current research, display or exhibition project. There will be multiple opportunities to examine artworks firsthand, and to explore those galleries pertinent to any given project. A true collaboration, students should think of themselves as consulting members of the curatorial team responsible for each project.

3 Credits.