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Curatorial Practice Curriculum Faculty Archive
Curatorial Practice

As contemporary art practice evolves, the role of the curator is shifting. Ideas about the relationships among art, exhibition spaces, and audiences are changing, and the way that art institutions are structured and administered is becoming more complex.

The first of its kind on the West Coast, the Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice offers an expanded perspective on curating contemporary art and culture. The program seeks to extend the current European and North American academic focus on traditional museum and gallery exhibitions, exploring the impact of artist-led initiatives and other efforts that take place outside conventional venues.

Reflecting San Francisco's geographic location and cultural histories, the MA in Curatorial Practice degree also emphasizes curatorial and art practices in Asia and Latin America.

Providing an international perspective with professional development at its core, the program prepares students for careers in museums and galleries, public art, project management, and publishing.

For information on programs and resources available to all CCA graduate students, see Graduate Studies.

Why "Practice"?

The choice of the term "practice," rather than "studies," was deliberate. The program provides a rigorous practical training alongside scholarly research. While using the San Francisco Bay Area as an incubator, visiting lecturers and intensive research trips serve as a conduit for the exchange of ideas among students, curators, artists, critics, and scholars from around the world.

Central to the philosophy of the Curatorial Practice Program is the development of the curriculum with faculty who are active professionals, involving some of the leading practitioners in the field today. In this way, students learn first-hand about the considerations that are influencing professional decision-making and current curatorial strategies.

Core faculty includes curators and art professionals from museums and galleries in the region, as well as CCA's Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts. A Curatorial Practice studio provides a base for students in the program to meet with visiting professors and arrange informal discussions, as well as housing the Curatorial Practice archive.

As part of the curriculum students' take classes off-campus to gain direct experience of the challenges of specific locations and situations; project-based learning and case studies help to focus discussions and research, and access to the unique resources of the Wattis Institute provides direct contact with artworks, archival material, and artists.

Partners in Curatorial Practice

While developing links with local people and institutions, the Curatorial Practice Program has also actively sought to establish international networks. To help us achieve this, we have received funding from the Christensen Fund to invite visiting faculty from Asia and Latin America to the program.

We have also received a substantial grant from the Getty Foundation to support bringing artists, critics, and curators from around the world to teach in the program over the next three years (2007–10).

This support complements the informal collaborations that have developed with organizations such as the Asian Cultural Council, who support our interest in welcoming professionals from Asia to San Francisco.