#BeTheCurator
By Katie Phelps, Curatorial Assistant and Visiting Artist Coordinator
This January at MOG, we’re inviting all of our visitors to #BeTheCurator for our newest crowd-curated exhibition, which opened January 16.
Museum curators have a long tradition of being keepers of the past. Historically, they have been regarded as specialists responsible for the research and care of collections of objects. In the age of social media, the concept of curating has become an everyday occurrence. The Web is full of “curated” content that is selected, edited, and presented to represent specific concepts and ideas. Our interaction with Facebook, Pinterest, and countless other websites has made us all curators.
Last year, we invited visitors to use their social media curation skills to create an exhibition. Visitors viewed a selection of artwork from MOG’s collections, both in the Museum and on Facebook, and voted on which objects to display in #BeTheCurator. Our visitors left thoughtful comments and insights about their selections, and I wanted to share some of their thoughts on a few pieces from the exhibition.
David Huchthausen (American, born 1951). Triad, 2008. Constructed glass sculpture. Collection of Museum of Glass, gift of Linda and Arthur Schwartz
“From whatever angle you look at it, you see a different color. From my perspective, at 11 o’clock, it looks like the colors make a Ying/Yang sign.” – Shayla (age 13, New York)
April Surgent (American, born 1982). But You Won’t Look Back, 2006. Fused and cameo-engraved glass. Collection of Museum of Glass, purchase courtesy of Lisa and Dudley Anderson.
“After reading about the artist, I like her depiction of how modern times has forgotten the past, and how she uses art to recreate the old into the new. Very inspiring!” – Marcus (age 24, New Jersey)
Lino Tagliapietra (Italian, born 1934). Manhattan Sunset, 1997. Blown glass with cane pick-ups, battuto and inciso cut; steel and glass. Collection of Museum of Glass. Photo by Duncan Price
“The delicacy of this old world process used in this most modern of installations/multiple pieces is unparalleled. The bonus is the title’s suggestion of an abstract skyline and plethora of colors a sunset can evoke.” – Marv Goldber (age 70, Tuscon)
Erich Woll (American, born 1970). Mistakes Will be Made (blue-footed Boobies), 2014. Hot-sculpted glass. Collection of Museum of Glass, gift of the artist.
“Art that brings us back to nature and shows the interdependence we have with the world around us is beautiful (and quite symbolic, being made of glass).” – Bethany (age 31, New Jersey)
Michael Sherrill (American, born 1955). Brightly Hidden, 2010. Hot-sculpted and flameworked glass, forged bronze and laminated colored porcelain. Collection of Museum of Glass, gift of the artist.
“It’s beautiful! It’s a great nature piece. Glass is science, art, nature…and the natural subject of a flower and a snake fits the medium well.” – Chelsea (age 32, Olympia)
In the age of the Internet, we each have the power to construct and curate information on a whole new level. By broadening our definition of “curator,” the Museum of Glass staff is excited to share the power to construct narrative, highlight artwork, and shape artistic development with our visitors!
These objects, along with our other most “Liked” pieces, will be on display in #BeTheCurator now through October 23, 2016. We invite you to visit MOG and continue to be part of the Museum’s curatorial process. Each visitor gets to add their “Likes” to the pieces included in the exhibition! The artist who receives the most votes will be invited for a five-day Visiting Artist residency at Museum of Glass in 2017.
Katie Phelps is the Curatorial Assistant/Visiting Artist Coordinator at Museum of Glass. She is an alumnus of Whitman College (BA) and University of Washington (MA). In her life outside of the Museum she is outside as much as possible, wearing skis as often as she does hiking boots.