Seminar Curated Exhibitions

Selected DAC exhibitions are organized by Wesleyan students who work extensively on their thematic organization and explanatory labels. Student curators work closely with DAC staff to learn about diverse aspects of museum exhibition, ranging from the initial concept and selection of works to the practicalities of gallery installation.

Working with the guidance of the DAC Curator, they typically view hundreds of works to select the objects to be shown, examining each with a critical eye towards how (and how well) it could serve the exhibition. This mentoring relationship offers a rare window into the aims and methods of professional museum work. Student curators often give gallery talks that are open to the University community and to the general public. Some student-curated exhibitions are accompanied by published catalogs. Student authors learn about museum publication and gain practical experience with the scholarly editorial process.

Some student-curated exhibitions since the mid-1990s have focused on topics such as: