A Curatorial Perspective
Contemporary Curator or Cultural Commentator ? by Ginger Gregg Duggan , curatorsquared
Reviewing the exhibition catalog for information about Kourmoundourous ’ installation
Back in 2009 , Alex Williams ran a piece in The New York Times titled “ On the Tip of Creative Tongues ,” about the overuse of the word “ curate .” No doubt , since then , it has not slowed in the slightest . Pinterest boards are curated , Usher curated a fi reworks display , moms casually mention curating their coffee table displays in social settings . As a legit curator , trained through the traditional art history academic route , holding positions in museums , and now as a partner in an independent curatorial fi rm , where does this leave me ?
Every May , I look forward to the annual conference for the Association of Art Museum Curators , for the unique opportunity to talk shop with my people . There are sub-groups for contemporary curators , independent curators , and almost every other historical period or style . It would seem that curators working outside of the realm of contemporary art are not as impacted by the mainstreaming of the idea of curation . They are specialists in a particular time , place , or movement and held in a sort of expert status within that area .
Contemporary curators , on the other hand , are tasked with responding to the art of our time , at this very moment , and we are not alone . Countless design and fashion magazines , concept boutiques and bloggers are also sifting through the cultural output on a daily basis , offering commentary and selection , not at all unlike my job . Or , as is the case with this very publication , artists reach around the establishment and self-publish in order to have their voice , and the voices of fellow artists , be part of the conversation .
It is fantastic and refreshing to work and live at a time when there is such intense interest in art and design . Gone is the elitist commentary in traditional print to dictate what is good and what is “ art .” Instead , our process is far more democratic and multivalent , offering concurrent trends and styles as opposed to one overarching Style . The pace with which artists and designers are recognized and exalted is unprecedented as well . Social media has overcorrected the playing fi eld so that a mention from a blogger can have more impact on the career of a designer or artist then a mention in Vogue , Dwell , or ArtForum , not to mention the volume of material it is possible to cover in a daily blog .
My fi rst curatorial post was in 1999 with the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale . While much remains the same since that fi rst job as Curator of the Projects Gallery — an experimental contemporary space — so much has changed as well . Most obviously , the expanded breadth of the internet and the impact that it has had on easy commu-
Ginger and Rick Birkbeck installing Terence Gower ’ s piece
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