Curatorial Department Practicum

Overview

As the only professionally operated public art gallery in the Fraser Valley, The Reach Gallery Museum plays a vital role in fostering the development of regional arts practitioners, professionals, and audiences. Informed by a commitment to bringing object-centric curatorial practices and visitor-centric education practices into a constructive dialogue, The Reach’s curatorial department brings exhibition-making and public programming under the same umbrella.

The Curatorial Department Practicum placement, supervised jointly by the Curator of Art & Visual Culture and the Curator of Learning and Community Engagement, is designed to mirror this museological approach and offer students the opportunity to gain insight into key curatorial and pedagogical theories and methodologies pertaining to, as well as hands-on experience in, two key areas of practice:

• Conceptualizing, developing, spatializing, and presenting exhibitions of contemporary art, including taking the lead in curating one or two installments in Art on Demand; 

• Designing and facilitating engaging and impactful cultural experiences for visitors of all ages by prioritizing inquiry-based, experiential, and hands-on learning activities and community outreach initiatives.

Learning Objectives

Throughout their placements, Curatorial Department Practicum Students will have the opportunity to acquire a wide range of skills in most, if not all, of the following exhibition-making and public programming processes:

• Soliciting, reviewing, and evaluating artists’ submissions;

• Conducting research in support of exhibition development, including communication with artists;

• Project-managing exhibitions, including planning workflows, tracking progress on deliverables, etc.;

• Producing, copyediting, and proofreading interpretive texts for a general audience;

• Handling and installing works of art;

• Public speaking in a gallery context;

• Offering guided exhibition tours to drop-in visitors and groups (K-12 and adults);

• Facilitating hands-on activities related to art and/or history for school groups;

• Supporting ongoing programs, workshops, community outreach initiatives, and other special events;

• Developing promotional materials for exhibitions and programs;

• Capturing documentation (photography and/or videography) of programs and events.

  
  

Professional Development Outcomes

At the conclusion of their placement, program participants will be equipped with:

• a portfolio of key achievements and skills gained during the practicum placement (importantly, curatorial credit for one or two Art on Demand exhibitions, including a published essay);

• a network of professional contacts; and

• a familiarity with a range of careers and career paths in the gallery/museum sector

• that will ideally position them to pursue future career opportunities in the gallery/museum sector and beyond in the future.

For more information about The Reach, visit https://thereach.ca/.

Note: This practicum is ideal for students wishing to enrol in this opportunity for 2 full semesters. However, this is also open to students wishing to participate in 1 semester only.