Artblog.net

1.

Brendan

January 24, 2007, 3:50 PM

You're not allowed to take the day off Franklin.

2.

Franklin

January 24, 2007, 5:31 PM

Whoops! Dock my personal days accordingly.

3.

Marc Country

January 24, 2007, 6:34 PM

Now, you just need a hot celebrity to help promote it... may I suggest Daryl Hannah?

4.

Brendan

January 24, 2007, 9:07 PM

Franklin, can I please see you in my office? Thanks.

5.

BergdorfBAP

January 24, 2007, 9:23 PM

Hey All!

I have been reading your posts (especially the one where Franklin decides not to get the Phd) and I have decided that this is a definitely a community in a which I can ask a most important question.

I am considering obtaining my Phd in art history. I eventually want to pursue a career in curatorial work in a museum. However, I did not major in art History during my undergraduate academic career but I know that this is what I want. I know very little about the Phd process and the university websites that I have been going to are not giving me a clear picture of the doctoral process and the requirements. Neither do they give me a good picture of my chances of being accepted to a program.

Help!

You can feel free to email me at Bergdorfbap@gmail.com. I will appreciate any advice you can give me.

Thanks for allowing me to post this.

6.

Franklin

January 24, 2007, 9:50 PM

There's a lot of variation, BergdorfBAP. A lot of PhD programs are set up to take non-majors at the Bachelor level, and you pick up a Master's en route to the doctorate. Your chances of acceptance vary widely from school to school. Not all curators have PhDs, so you may want to look into that first. In fact, you might want to try some curating - find a space, get some artists together, and put on an exhibition. There are also some Master's programs around that specialize in curating (Bard comes to mind). Just more stuff to think about.

7.

ahab

January 24, 2007, 10:20 PM

You may not be allowed to talk about it, Franklin, but I get the feeling Brendan might. Hey?

Good luck on the school search, BergdorfBAP. The best advice I can give is to find someone (a scholar or curator) whom you would wish to study under or apprentice with, and whose knowledge and skills you admire. The name of the degree granting academy isn't really much more than that. Generic, I know, but most free advice is.

8.

BergdorfBAP

January 25, 2007, 10:17 PM

Franklin and Ahab, Thank you for your advice. Right now I am applying to some museums in NYC for summer and fall internships and I working on those applications right now. My goal is to obtain an internship in a curating department. But Franklin, your suggestion, about trying curating is..wow..intriguing and enticing. Mostly because I think that I don't know where to start, with such little knowledge of Art History. And i know like, 1 visual artists, 1 performance artist, max!

Anyways, I thank you for your advice.

It really annoys me that my chances of getting into a program vary widely. Thanks ahab for reminding me though, that the name on the degree is just that. In fact, I am going to make sure that I remember that. There is one professor at Duke (my alma mater) that I would like to study under. I loved the Art History course that I took with her and I really admire her work in what she has done with the Nasher Museum of Art. But, she is the only person right now that I enjoy.

I also think that Arnold Lehman of the Brooklyn Museum has done great work as well as Thomas Krens. But, I dont think either of them work at Universities.

Any more advice from the Artblog.net community???? Bring it on guys!!

9.

jm

January 26, 2007, 7:37 AM

Light and gravity remain as the only physical forces that really matter. How to translate this physical phenomenon with line in the purest sense is still open.

10.

Franklin

January 26, 2007, 8:13 AM

BergdorfBAP, I'll just add that given a choice, I'll take expertise over credentialling any day, and I'm a great believer in learning by doing. If you put a show on (find artists, find a space, arrange and hang the art, advertise it, write an essay, print a catalogue, get someone to donate wine for the reception, etc.), you'll learn more in the process than you would in two years of school. You don't need to know art history to do it - you need an eye for it, some leadership, decent people skills (artists are a prickly bunch), and several gallons of elbow grease. If you're going to write something, you should have some flair for writing, but I've seen leaden catalogues for decent shows, so I'm not sure about that except the principle. Art history need never grace the operation. Mostly, you shouldn't think that the academic work you would do in a curatorial program is going to do anything for you except fill out your intellectual faculties, and curating is largely an act of taste, which you cultivate by getting out there and looking at a ton of art. Round out your intellectual life, sure, but ultimately it will be more useful to you to learn how to use screw anchors.

And yet, credentialling matters. I tell people that I went to RISD and the University of Miami and some reply, "Oh, you went to RISD." Ultimately only your work counts, but if you have a prestigious name attached to yours, people will give you a first look that they might not grant you otherwise. That said, to the extent that it matters, that's all it matters. Good luck to you.

11.

BergdorfBAP

January 26, 2007, 9:18 PM

Franklin,

Thank you for all of your advice. I have this feeling that it will prove to be invaluable, if only to give me perspective on life as a I apply for the phd and enter a program.

So...I know this may sound very amateurish, but what type of art do you like? And why?

And let me say that this question goes out to everyone in the artblog.net community. (sorry if this isn't in the guidelines)

Actually, can you do an entire post on the pieces or artists or media you like most and then ask other to post what they like? (please..lol)

I just think it would be interesting.

And another question, What is ArtBasel?

I just keep hearing about people going to that, and I don't know what it is or what it's function is. (sorry to be so demanding, but you must realize that you and others in this community are the only people i "know" that are actually interested in art)

Thanks Franklin.

Your sistafriend (lol),

Bergdorfbap