Dear Museum Professional:
I am currently researching and writing my thesis to fulfill my M.A. degree in Museum Studies at San Francisco State University. I am surveying trends in the curation of 20th century art and will document innovative collaborations that facilitate visitor understanding of modern and contemporary art in the museum exhibition.
Below you will find a survey that investigates the state of modern and contemporary art curation through exploration of the changing relationships between and roles of the curator, museum educator and artist. Your assistance in completing and returning the survey will be greatly appreciated. It should take no longer than 8-10 minutes to complete. If you don't have time now, I encourage you to save the survey and respond at your convenience.
Please send completed surveys, comments, suggestions and questions to me at [log in to unmask] Again, I thank you for your time and assistance.
Best regards,
Aran P. Roche
47 B Cortland Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94110
[log in to unmask]
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1. Your museum position: (please mark selection with "X")
( ) Trustee
( ) Director
( ) Curator
( ) Educator
( ) Registrar
( ) Exhibit Designer
( ) Development Officer
( ) Other (please specify):
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2. Highest level of education completed:(please mark selection with "X")
( ) High School
( ) Some College
( ) Bachelor's Degree
( ) Master's Degree
( ) Ph.D.
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3. At your museum who is most responsible for curating exhibits?
(please select one only)
( ) Trustee
( ) Director
( ) Curator
( ) Educator
( ) Registrar
( ) Exhibit Designer
( ) Development Officer
( ) Other (please specify):
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4. The head of your museum's education department holds the title
( ) Director of Education
( ) Curator of Education
( ) Other (please specify):
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5. Does the head of your museum's education department and/or education assistant:
a) Assist the curator with development of exhibitions?
( ) yes ( ) no--If no, please skip to #6
b) Assist the curator with selection of works for exhibits?
( ) yes ( ) no
c) Assist the curator with exhibition layout?
( ) yes ( ) no
d) Assist the curator with didactic wall labels?
( ) yes ( ) no
e) Assist the curator with research for exhibition catalog?
( ) yes ( ) no
f) Train docents?
( )yes ( ) no
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6. Does the head of your museum's education department curate exhibitions
independent from the curatorial department?
( ) no
( ) yes--If yes, please list title of last three exhibitions with short description
1.
2.
3.
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7. Does your museum invite independent curators to organize exhibitions?
( ) no
( ) yes--If yes, what percentage of exhibitions are curated by visiting curators?
(please indicate approximate annual percentage): %
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8. Has your museum invited artists to curate exhibitions?
( ) no
( ) yes--if yes, please list the artist and title of exhibition with short description:
1.
2.
3.
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8. To what extent are your museum's exhibitions developed with a team approach?
( ) Always
( ) Almost Always
( ) Sometimes
( ) Rarely
( ) Never--if never, please skip to #11
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9. If there is a team approach to curation at your museum, who is generally included?
(please mark all that apply)
( ) Trustee
( ) Director
( ) Curator
( ) Educator
( ) Registrar
( ) Exhibit Designer
( ) Development Officer
( ) Other (please specify):
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10. If there is a team approach to curation at your museum, when does collaboration begin?
( ) From inception of concept
( ) After curator develops concept
( ) After selection of works
( ) After installation
( ) Other time (please specify):
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11. From what sources do you learn most about relationships between art
museum curators and museum educators? (please select all that apply)
( ) Daily work experience
( ) Word of mouth
( ) From visiting exhibitions
( ) Professional newsletters (please specify):
( ) Professional journals (please specify):
( ) Symposiums (please specify):
( ) Professional Conferences (please specify):
( ) Personal Research (please specify):
( ) Publications on museum profession (please specify):
( ) Newspaper articles (please specify):
( ) Other (please specify):
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12. From what sources do you learn most about innovative exhibitions
and display approaches? (please select all that apply)
( ) Daily work experience
( ) Word of mouth
( ) From visiting exhibitions
( ) Professional newsletters (please specify):
( ) Professional journals (please specify):
( ) Symposiums (please specify):
( ) Professional Conferences (please specify):
( ) Personal Research (please specify):
( ) Publications on museum profession (please specify):
( ) Newspaper articles (please specify):
( ) Other (please specify):
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13. What philosophical foundation most supports the current exhibition(s)
on view at your museum? (please mark one that most applies)
( ) aesthetic philosophy
visitor is moved by simply looking at work of art, no interpretation is necessary
( ) art history philosophy
exhibit interprets iconography, style, and artist's biography
( ) interdisciplinary philosophy
use of concerts, lectures & films to convey meaning to works of art where object is
not contemplated for own sake
( ) new art history/postmodern philosophy
expansion of traditional interpretation with emphasis on redefinition or revision
of context & articulation of the viewer's role
( ) other (please specify):
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14. As a viewer, how important are the following aspects of modern and contemporary
art exhibitions to you?
Please rank each choice by checking 1(most important) through 5(least important)
Most important Least important
a) Exhibitions that transmit curator's knowledge about artist, artwork, art history & theory
( )1 ( )2 ( )3 ( )4 ( )5
b) Exhibitions where you can construct your own knowledge about art
( )1 ( )2 ( )3 ( )4 ( )5
c) Exhibitions offering tools and methods that teach you how to LOOK at art
( )1 ( )2 ( )3 ( )4 ( )5
d) Exhibitions that use labels and wall text to convey purpose of exhibit
( )1 ( )2 ( )3 ( )4 ( )5
e) Exhibitions that focus on art to be experienced for aesthetic qualities alone
( )1 ( )2 ( )3 ( )4 ( )5
f) Exhibitions that use tools/technology to invite you to explore an artwork in depth
( )1 ( )2 ( )3 ( )4 ( )5
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15. To whom does your museum target its exhibitions?
( ) Novice visitor
( ) General visitor
( ) Knowledgeable visitor
( ) Scholar
( ) Other (please specify):
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16. Does your museum use a layered approach to present exhibitions to novice
as well as knowledgeable visitors?
( ) no
( ) yes--If yes, what tools and methods does your museum incorporate?
(Please mark all that apply)
( ) identification labels--artist, title, date, material, donor
( ) hand-held gallery information sheets
( ) docent tours
( ) curator-led tours
( ) audio tours
( ) didactic wall panels/labels
( ) lectures
( ) symposiums
( ) films
( ) reading rooms
( ) hands-on galleries
( ) visual storage
( ) CD-ROM stations in galleries
( ) youth activity sheets/treasure hunts
( ) self-guided family tours
( ) educational resource rooms
( ) visitor reaction cards
( ) other (please specify):
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17. In your opinion, what most contributes to difficulties surrounding visitor
understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary art?
(please type response)
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18. List the most successful and/or innovative 20th century art exhibitions you
recently visited. Make sure to indicate why you think the exhibition worked so well.
(please type response)
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19. Are you willing to participate in more in-depth discussions?
( ) no
( ) yes If yes, what is the best way to contact you?
( ) e-mail ( please type in address):
( ) fax (please type in number):
( ) telephone (please type in number):
( ) other (please specify):
Your NAME (optional):
Your INSTITUTION (optional):
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Thank you for taking time to complete this survey.
I encourage you to forward copies of the survey to colleagues interested in these issues.
Please return survey to me via your e-mail's send mode to [log in to unmask]
Direct all questions, comments and suggestions to the same address.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated.