Curating an art show
(Photo Credit: Charles Russo)
I recently read “The Happiness of Pursuit” by Chris Guillebeau. It focuses attention on how to identify and structure a personal quest. What is a quest? According to Guillebeau, ” it is a journey toward something specific, with a number of challenges throughout. Most quests also require a series of logistical steps and some kind of personal growth,” but it is much more that just self-improvement.
Start with Why
Why curate an art show for my dad? My only experience was in my years as an art teacher in guiding high school students to curate their annual student art show.
When my dad taped his art work onto the walls of his room in 2011, I was intrigued by the way it changed his interactions with others, especially how he had a voice despite dementia taking away his ability to hold conversations. His paintings were a point of departure in building relationships with his caregivers and visitors during a time in his life when dementia was limiting him in so many ways. In 2013, I decided that it would be fitting to frame his art and create a gallery space for him at his assisted living home. He died before I could frame one painting. All his paintings were stored back in a box.
Thanks to the ideas outlined in “The Happiness of Pursuit”, I have taken up the idea again, but instead of just framing and hanging art, I want to curate a show that highlights how art can be a healing force in dealing with tragic life events. I want it to benefit dementia research and/or a group that helps people cope.
How do I start my quest?
Guillebeau sets out 5 criteria for a project to become a quest:
- A quest has a clear goal and a specific end point
- Curate and art show that has a theme relating to the healing nature of creative process and one that benefits dementia research
- A quest presents a clear challenge
- Figure out how to curate a great show in a beautiful space
- Face my self-doubts about my art talents and let me dad’s pursuit of painting beauty inspire me to create art again for the sake of creating
- A quest requires sacrifice of some sort
- Time
- Money
- The hard work that it takes to create a work of art.
- A quest is often driven by a calling or a sense of mission
- This idea has been in my head for 3 years and it needs to be realized
- Dementia is such a destructive force for indivuduals and their families; I want to do something to help
- A quest requires a series of small steps and incremental progress toward a goal.
- Learn about curation
- Find a theme
- Find a space
- Chose an organization that will benefit
- Set a date
- Research
- Make some art
- Put it all together