Faculty Lunch: Curating in the Context of Art Museums

The terms "curation" and "curating" have become ubiquitous expressions nearly divorced from the art world. It seems one can "curate" one's dinner table, one's daily outfit, one's friends even. But what does it mean in the context of an art museum? Soyoung Lee, Chief Curator at the Harvard Art Museums, discusses the complex role of an art museum curator and the shifting paradigms of that role in recent years. Where do scholarly expertise, creative visual thinking, financial management, relationship-building and people skills fall on the spectrum of a curator's responsibilities and identity? As part of the discussion we will generate ways to channel and encourage students' interests in curating and entering the world of art museums.

Notes from Soyoung Lee's Lunch