Curatorial Mentorship
Hungry For Place (detail), Shaun McGowan, 2011 from the exhibition Out Of Site, curated by 2011 Curatorial Mentorship recipient Claire Needham
The CAST Curatorial Mentorship began in 1995 and was established to assist an emerging curator to gain knowledge and skills through an active learning program. This professional development opportunity is offered annually and allows the recipient to develop and realise an exhibition at CAST under the guidance of CAST staff. There is no curator's fee involved, however the emerging curator gains experience in all aspects of developing a major exhibition and producing an exhibition catalogue. As part of this mentorship the recipient also sits on the CAST Program Committee and gains experience in the decision-making processes that determine the CAST exhibition program. This provides invaluable insight into the decision-making processes of an arts organisation.
There have been 16 mentorships to date that have involved recipients working with artists from across Tasmania and interstate in exhibitions in a professional context. Past recipients include:
- Mary Knights (1995)
- Jane Stewart (1997)
- Kelly Squires (1998)
- Sally Rees (1999)
- Jessica Ball (2000)
- Kylie Johnson (2001)
- Colin Langridge (2002)
- Celia Lendis (2003)
- Maria MacDermott (2004)
- Scot Cotterell (2005)
- Tristan Stowards (2006)
- Carol Hammond (2007)
- Jack Robins (2008)
- Sarah Jones (2009)
- Victor Medrano (2010)
- Claire Needham (2011)
This year due to the extremely competitive round of applications, CAST has awarded two Curatorial Mentorship positions and extends our congratulations to the two recipients, Matt Warren and Bec Stevens.
Criteria for selection
The mentorship position will be awarded on the basis of how well the application material demonstrates:
- A strong and original exhibition concept supported by references to relevant artists
- A close engagement with contemporary visual culture
- Strong communication skills that reveal an enthusiasm for ideas surrounding visual culture and its interpretation
- A commitment to pursuing a professional practice and willingness to fully utilise the mentorship towards assisting the development of a professional career
Selection process
The Curatorial Mentorship position will be decided by the CAST Program Committee, a panel that includes practicing artists, the preceding mentored curator and members of the CAST Board and staff. All applicants will be advised of decisions in writing with all decisions being final and not negotiable.
Applications
Applications should be sent to The Program Coordinator of CAST, 27 Tasma Street North Hobart 7000 and should arrive no later than Friday 29 July 2011.
Please include
- 1 page written outline for a proposed exhibition project which: outlines the curatorial rationale and framework, and identifies and explains potential artists or artworks for inclusion in the project. (Please note, the successful applicant can negotiate variation of the original proposal)
- Your current curriculum vitae with full contact details
- Visual support material for the proposed exhibition in the form of a CD with no more than 12 images (saved as a JPEG at a resolution of 72 dpi) provided as jpegs or in a powerpoint presentation that is not locked. Material must be clearly labeled on a list, including artist's name, title of work, date of completion, medium and size. The following visual support material will not be accepted: slides, catalogues, photographs, colour photocopies. If you would like your application material returned to you please provide return self addressed postage
- Optional: support material in the form of published essays and reviews written by the applicant. This material can be included as a pdf or word document with all bibliographic information appended
Laughter (installation shot), curated by 2010 Curatorial Mentorship recipient Victor Medrano