Art League Rhode Island Receives RISCA Grant for Curatorial Mentorship Program
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Art League Rhode Island (ALRI) is offering a new educational program, the Curatorial Mentorship Project, through which ALRI will pair a select group of artists with professionals in the curatorial field in order to teach them the fundamental skills necessary to curate galleries and exhibitions. The program embeds mentees in the ALRI Exhibitions and Gallery Committee, and exposes them to the curatorial process through discussions, proposal writing as well as the planning and execution of an ALRI exhibit. This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
After a rigorous application process, the four mentees selected to participate include Mary-Kim Arnold, Rachel Avenia, Rachael Brask and Betsy Ritz. Representatives from ALRI, the Attleboro Arts Museum, RISD Museum, and the University of Rhode Island are all participating in the program by offering their experiences and expertise with curating and jurying exhibitions. The curatorial mentoring team includes Ken Steinkamp, Stephen Metcalf, Chris Chabot, Nancy Gaucher-Thomas, Paulette Miller, Audrey Monahan, and Bob Dilworth.
The Curatorial Mentorship Project pairs an established curator with a curatorial mentee or trainee to support the execution of the ALRI exhibit, Beyond Choreography, which is currently on view at The Vets Gallery until October 28. In the development and presentation of this exhibit, mentors guide, train, and counsel the mentees in curatorial practices. The mentees take part in all aspects of the exhibition and complementary programming, including interacting with participating artists.
In addition to this hands-on experience, the mentees will meet with Dominic Molon, Richard Brown Baker Curator of Contemporary Art for the RISD Museum for a talk at the RISD Museum’s Cafe Pearl in the newly named Pearl and Ernest Nathan Gallery. Dominic will share his insights and opinions, and answer our questions about curating.
The Curatorial Mentorship Program will culminate in a project where the mentees work together under the guidance of their mentors to collectively create ALRI’s 10-Point Guide to Curating.
Funding provided in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and private funders.
Written by: Magen Mintz
Edited by: Jesse Hernandez
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