Thursday, December 11, 2008

The Appeal of Wall Art: Ah, Curators

By Fabian Toulouse

A popular hobby is art collection, except for curators, who usually take it more serious. Art collection is then their field of expertise. Curators manage museums, libraries, archives, and galleries. Their responsibility is to take care of the collections in their particular institution, and maintaining the catalogs on the collections with the assistance of the specialist of publications. Curators always work with objects that are tangible such as fine art collections for public and private showings. The curators are interested in collecting all types of artwork, from modern works of less known artists to the historical and traditional works of art. Curators many times specialize in a particular area although there are ones that due cover a variety of art too. Many times they work for a museum that is focused on a specific area. This may control what work the curator has to do.

A curator could be solely in charge of purchasing and the caring of the art collections in smaller institutions or galleries. He (or she) not only chooses what art to collect but also oversees like their care and documentation; also he (or she) has to research the items that are collected. If the items need to be taken from point A to point B as in shipping the curator makes sure that they placed in the correct type of containers. The scholarly community often times receives information from the curators just as the public may. The use of publications including journals and the art exhibitions helps the curator do this task.

Usually at a small gallery or museum the only paid member of the staff it has is the curator. The larger establishments have curators that specialize in a given area of art. Part of a curator's job description is usually to research and chart a course for the art collection of the establishment and this includes activities. The larger establishments have several curators with each one specializing in their own topic, and they al wok under the supervision of a head curator. In these situations other employees may be in charge of the care of the collection of art, and also someone else works the administration decisions too.

Curators usually have an advanced education, with a high academic degree in art or a related subject. Some even hold a doctorate. In addition to holding an advanced degree, the curator should also have made a contribution to their academic field via conference presentations and articles. Practical knowledge is also required. Curators must know about the current climate and trends in the art collecting field, as well as laws and ethical considerations that could affect the collection they oversee.

Two dimensional wall art, such as drawings or paintings, is the most common type of art that curators are likely to include in their collections. However, sculptural art is also extremely common. Other art that might appear in a collection put together by a curator includes prints, three dimensional wall art, and recordings of performances. Not all the pieces in a collection will be displayed at once. Usually, the majority are kept in storage and only a few are shown to the public or to private visitors. These shows are usually themed in some way, and the pieces involved have something in common.

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