You have the opportunity to pitch an exhibition proposal to the CUAG. To prepare your
proposal, think about what unifying narrative, theme or message you would like to present. It is
best if you situate your artworks around a theme or idea so that your exhibition “tells a story,”
so to say. For example, you could choose a particular artistic movement, genre of art, or
repeated theme, such as depictions of food, various media or theoretical approach discussed
on in class. Keep in mind, however, the narrower your theme, the more cohesive your
exhibition will be. For instance, a theme of food is much too broad. If you were to distill the
topic to a type of food, such as mass-produced food or still-life fruits, you would have a much
more cohesive exhibition. Specific is best. Once you have your theme, you will have to select
artworks to demonstrate it. Keep in mind that you will have to choose at least 5 artworks that
relate to your theme. So, think about: What do you need the artworks to communicate? What
works best tell your exhibition “story”? How does a particular artwork “speak” in terms of its
imagery and meaning to other artworks nearby? How do the artworks bring together your
theme?
Select your minimum 5 artworks – any works that cohesively convey your curatorial theme or
story. Arrange your works in the gallery space and draft a layout of where each work would be
placed. Select 3 of your 5 works and write extended text labels, justifying why you selected
these particular works and how they fit into your exhibition. It is difficult to write short text, so
you may need to write several drafts before you get it right. Use short and simple sentences for
your extended labels and be specific to the artwork you are talking about. This may require
additional research. Write your 500-word introductory panel text. This introductory text will tell
your audience what your theme or exhibition “story” is all about. Your introductory text will
help the audience understand your point of view and why your exhibition is important. It
should establish your overall premise, often including historical or other contextual information
and give significance to your curatorial concept. Often it is useful to draw on a particular work
or works that were central to your theme (if you do this, you have to write about different
works for your extended labels). Again, this is a tricky task, so it may require several drafts
before you get it right.
This assignment is intended to help you think about how curators and museum create
narratives to the public.
Please review the rubric before handing in your assignment.
Tombstone information:
•Name of the artist
•Title of Work
•Dimensions of the object
•What the artwork is made of (the media)
•Date of creation
•Owner of work
Extended label:
All of the information as a standard label PLUS additional information on the work (e.g. history,
reason why it fits in the exhibition) as related to the exhibition theme
*Formatting example: Joyce Wieland, Reason over Passion (1968)
Figure 1. Joyce Wieland, Reason over Passion, 1968, quilted cotton, 256 x 302.3 x 8 cm. National
Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
Sample Solution