2025 Poster Session

Abstract:  AIC 2025

Better Together: A Case Study Demonstrating the Benefits of Collaborative Curation

Universities encompass various communities. When members of these communities combine efforts, they can achieve extraordinary results.

This presentation offers a case study showing anticipated as well as unforeseen benefits made possible by collaborative curation. Focusing on the Libros/Arte exhibit held at the University of Albany Museum during the fall of 2023, it considers how the cooperative conceptualization, organization, selection, and the realization of the exhibit maximized opportunities for outreach programming as well as for overall exhibit attendance.

The above process, conducted over two and a half years, involved an interdisciplinary team of eight university members. Bi-weekly meetings provided opportunities for learning about other fields, sharing information, and developing new skills. These meetings also encouraged participants to hone professional communication skills, and ultimately fostered a sense of trust among group members.

Conservators bring knowledge and understanding of various fields—cultural history, materials science, studio art—to their work and to all professional interactions. They are uniquely positioned to approach challenges from varied vantage points to obtain a solution. Working with other university experts in many fields, their efforts can help produce extraordinary results in terms of outreach potential and museum exhibit attendance. While these undertakings also offer all participants rich opportunities for learning and growth, the value of including conservators in these collaborations is a highlight of this presentation.

This study relies on procedural records and museum attendance data to establish the significance of collaboration on museum exhibit and related-event attendance. It also considers reflections from exhibit curation collaborator interviews regarding the value of their experiences.

The investigation shows that the number of outreach events scheduled for this particular exhibition, as well as the overall attendance numbers for Libros/Arte , exceed those of university museum exhibits held over the past three years. In addition, all members of the curation team expressed appreciation for the experience of working together, with ‘opportunity for learning’ being the most frequently cited benefit. The library conservator, in particular, with a broad base of knowledge, found great benefit in this experience.

In conclusion, the decision by the University at Albany Art Museum to engage in the collaborative curation of the Libros/Arte exhibit resulted in the development of a microcosm of an ideal university community: a place for conversation, collaboration, and growth.

 

Ann C. Kearney                                                                                                                                           Coordinator of Preservation Services                                                                                                         University Libraries                                                                                                                                     University at Albany—SUNY                                                                                                           akearney@albany.edu