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B E H I N D T H E S C E N E S :
What is a curator?
A curator is a Museum employee who collects, studies, interprets and
displays a Museum's collection. Curators receive extensive training
in their field and have higher degrees, which include but are not
limited to: art history, history, arts administration, museum studies,
museum management and curatorship.
Large museums often have many curators, one for each exhibit or subject
area. There may be a Curator of Paintings, a Curator of Drawings, and a
Curator of Photographs. Curators are also in charge of departments of
the museum. A museum may have a Curator of Education, a Curator of
Collections, and a Curator of Exhibitions.
At the Michener, there are three Curators, including a Senior Curator,
a Curator of Education and Public Programs, and a Curator of Collections.
There is an Associate Curator of Education who works with the Curator of
Education and Public Programs, and an Assistant Curator of Exhibitions
who works with the Senior Curator.
The Director, Senior Curator, Curator of Collections and the Assistant
Curator of Exhibitions decide what objects should be displayed, and they
arrange the displays so that visitors can understand and appreciate what
they see. Sometimes the Museum hires guest curators for special
exhibitions. The Assistant Curator of Exhibitions also assists the Senior
Curator with research, planning and production of exhibitions.
The Director, the Senior Curator and the Curator of Collections find new
works to add to the Museum's collections, and they organize special
exhibitions. To help interpret the exhibit, the
Senior Curator and Curator of Collections design and produce signage and
printed materials for exhibits including the labels that will be displayed.
Both the Senior Curator and Curator of Collections plan and manage the
exhibitions at the Michener.
There is an exhibitions committee at the Michener that discusses the "nuts
and bolts" of exhibits. This would include information such as: how to
handle a special piece of artwork, how to hang/display a certain object, and
the loan requirements of an object.
The main focus of the Curator of Education and Public Programs is educating
the public about the museum's exhibitions and collection, as well as
exploring wider themes in art. This curator organizes a wide variety of
educational programs for all ages, including special lecturers, gallery
talks, workshops and artist demonstrations for the public organized in
conjunction with the special exhibitions at the museum. She manages the
museum docents and summer interns. This curator arranges special programs
such as music concerts, Jazz Nights, sculpture garden music series, and
special events like Holiday Open House and Family Day.
The Associate Curator of Education manages the school tour program. Many
students from different schools visit the Museum each year. This curator
also creates many of the materials that go to teachers when they schedule
a trip with their school, which includes information like activity sheets
for students, and lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom after
their visit. The curator also organizes classes and workshops for teachers,
manages the traveling trunk program, and
provides materials and training to the docents on the exhibits.
The Director of Educational Outreach at the Museum manages all of the
after-school children's classes, summer art camps and the
Children's Art Gallery at the
Michener. The director of educational outreach is responsible for hiring teachers
for the classes during the year and making sure the teachers have the proper
supplies for their classes. This person also works with the Children's Program
Advisory group in organizing and scheduling the exhibits for the children's art
gallery.
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