Request for Proposal
Visiting Curators I & II, Boston Arts Academy, Boston MA
The Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts is seeking proposals for two Visiting Curators for the academic year 2020-2021, to curate works in non-traditional exhibition spaces. The two $5,000 exhibition projects would take place in physical and/or virtual spaces in and around the Boston area that are accessible by public transportation, or in the event they are remotely learning during the academic year. One project would be scheduled for the winter and the other in the early spring. They are seeking two Visiting Curators for Visual Arts and Design curriculum-based exhibitions, looking at the different ways that artwork can connect to the outside world, using physical and virtual spaces. As the Art Fund states, “Scholar, storyteller, entrepreneur, fundraiser, facilitator… the job spec for today’s museum curator is getting bigger all the time.” The world continues to rapidly evolve and so too the role of the curator within it. It is our job to expose our students to all the different aspects of exhibition: what happens to our work once we make it. What are the ways of getting our work seen and how do the methods of exhibition change the artistic process? Visiting Curators will work with students of all grade levels to create exhibitions and build understanding of the context in which artists are communicating, using student work. Together, curator and students will explore who our audiences are, the mechanics of creating a show, ways of getting work out in the world, interactive models, interdisciplinary work and intersectional meaning through the work, and the viewing experience. Some of the skills we are hoping students will achieve are: an ability to work collaboratively, flexibility and working in changing environments, openness to new ideas and points of view, risk taking, problem solving, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Curator Guidelines: 1. Because space is restricted/limited, the curator in residence will be mobile throughout the building, working in onsite spaces as they are available, or offsite in the event of remote learning during the academic year. 2. The exhibition will culminate in a final event (ie: opening or closing event, artist talk, demonstration, etc.)
3. The Visiting Curator will meet and work closely with the gallery director, department
chair, and department to carry out their vision. 4. Applicants should represent our student body: 42% African American, 38% Latinx, 11% White, 4% Asian, 4% Multirace, 1% Other. 5. The work from the residency will result in a showing accessible by public transportation and a virtual component. 6. The work from the residency will reflect a combination of student voice and curator’s vision. 7. The work from the residency will incorporate process ideas from students. 8. The work and process from the residency will be documented and shared virtually.
Proposal format: The proposal (1-2 page narrative) should explain the project/exhibition’s vision, process, student involvement, and culminating event. Proposals should address the following questions: How will this residency benefit the Visual Arts and Design students as well as the broader BAA community? How do you envision collaborating with students, faculty, and staff? What will your process look like? How will you structure your interactions with students? What is your vision for a culminating event? How do you plan to document and share the work?
All proposals must also include: Proposed schedule; budget for $5,000; curator(s) name(s) and contact information (accepted artists will have to complete a CORI form); visiting curators should have a record of exhibition/performance. Please include links to curator’s websites or examples of curator’s work, biography and CV if not included above.
Budget: Funding for this residency is set at $5,000. Funds may be used towards: honoraria; travel; materials for research, production and final product; funds for student involvement (workshops, events); and reception.
Documentation: Documentation of the creative process and evolution of the product is an important part of a project. We encourage applicants to think strategically and creatively about how the values, activities, and pedagogical impact of the proposal may be most effectively made visible and disseminated to the BAA community and beyond. Sample products include: video clips, sound recordings, photographs, data visualizations, interviews, web pages, slide presentations, regular blogging, or social media presence. Grants are not final until all schedules, programs, and budgets are mutually agreed upon. All submissions should be sent to: BAArfp@bostonartsacademy. Questions about the process can be sent to Kathleen Marsh.
Deadline: September 15, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
Image credit: Kehinde Wiley’s “Triple Portrait of Charles I” are hung in the entrance to the Tucson Museum of Art on September 26, 2018. Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star
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