March 24–30, 2017
Independent Curators International (ICI) returns to New Orleans this March for the third Curatorial Intensive in the city since 2015, organized as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans and Prospect New Orleans, and with the Joan Mitchell Center.
The Curatorial Intensive, a weeklong professional development program, offers curators the opportunity to discuss, among colleagues, the concepts, logistics, and challenges of organizing exhibitions, public programs, and other curatorial models. Building upon past iterations of the program in the city, the Intensive continues to draw from the cultural production of New Orleans and the greater Gulf of Mexico region. The Curatorial Intensive is designed to immerse participants in a rigorous schedule of seminars, presentations, site visits, and one-on-one meetings that support the process of developing an idea for an exhibition into a full proposal. This program is targeted toward self-motivated individuals, working independently or within institutions.
Seminars, site visits, individual meetings, and roundtable discussions will be led by a group of professionals that includes: Rashida Bumbray (independent curator & choreographer, New York), María del Carmen Carrión (Director of Public Programs & Research, ICI), Remco de Blaaij (Senior Curator, CCA Glasgow), Gia Hamilton (Director, Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans), Rachel Ellis Neyra (theorist and Assistant Professor of English, Wesleyan University), Renaud Proch (Executive Director, ICI), and Trevor Schoonmaker (Artistic Director of Prospect.4 and Chief Curator and Patsy R. and Raymond D. Curator of Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum, Duke University), among others.
Application guidelines
12–14 applicants working internationally will be selected to participate in the Curatorial Intensive. The applicant must have at least three years of curatorial experience. All applications must include a 500-word description of an exhibition idea that the applicant would like help in developing. This description should outline the proposal concept and any artists under consideration. Also required are a current 250-word bio, a 500-word letter of intent, and a 300-word text that describes a recent curatorial project that has made an impact on the applicant. To apply, and for full guidelines, visit ICI’s website.
Fees and scholarships
The program fee is 1,900 USD. Participants are also responsible for covering travel and accommodation expenses. Generous scholarship packages that subsidize or eliminate the program fees are available and awarded based on merit. If you would like to apply for a scholarship, please include a letter of motivation with your application.
ICI offers a limited number of scholarships to all curators, based on merit. In addition, Prospect New Orleans will support the full program fee for two curators based in New Orleans. Curators of Latin American origin based anywhere in the world, are eligible to apply for The kurimanzutto Scholarship for Latin American Curators, which covers the full program fee and travel expenses. A scholarship for a curator from Mexico will be supported by Patronato de Arte Contemporáneo (PAC). An ICI / beta-local scholarship is available for a curator from Puerto Rico based anywhere in the world, and an ICI / TEOR/éTica scholarship is available for a curator from Central America based in the region, each covering the full program fee and a stipend for travel and accommodations.
For more information or questions, visit ICI’s website or email kimberly [at] curatorsintl.org.
About Independent Curators International (ICI)
ICI produces exhibitions, events, publications, research and training opportunities for curators and diverse audiences around the world. Established in 1975 and headquartered in New York, ICI is a hub that connects emerging and established curators, artists, and art spaces, forging international networks and generating new forms of collaborations.
About CAC New Orleans
CAC is a multi–disciplinary arts center dedicated to the presentation, production, and promotion of the art of our time. Formed in 1976 by a passionate group of visual and performing artists when the movement to tear down the walls between visual and performing arts was active nationwide, the CAC expresses its mission by organizing world class curated exhibitions, performances, and public programs that educate and enlarge audiences for the arts.
About the Joan Mitchell Center
Based in the culturally diverse and historic city of New Orleans, the Joan Mitchell Center’s mission is to support local, national, and international contemporary visual artists. Through providing a forum for artists, and acting as welcoming, inclusive gathering place, the Center aspires to be a place for creation, innovation and transformation, while supporting values of community, diversity and social equity.
About Prospect New Orleans
Prospect New Orleans is a citywide triennial of contemporary art. Emphasizing collaborative partnerships, Prospect presents the work of diverse local, national, and international artists in unique and culturally exceptional venues, creating an optimistic cartography through the education and engagement of residents and visitors.
