California College of the Arts San Francisco: Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice

Applications are now being accepted for the fall 2010 incoming class

Application deadline: January 5, 2010

http://www.cca.edu/curatorialpractice
http://sites.cca.edu/curatingarchive
http://curatorial-practice.blogs.cca.edu

CCA's Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice offers an expanded perspective on curating contemporary art and culture. Alongside traditional forms of exhibition making, this two-year master's degree program emphasizes the momentous impact over the last half-century of artist-led initiatives, public art projects, site-specific commissions, and other experimental endeavors that take place beyond the confines of established venues. It is distinguished by an international, interdisciplinary perspective, and it reflects San Francisco's unique location and cultural history by placing a particular importance on the study of curatorial and artistic practices in Asia and Latin America. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers both nationally and internationally in the fields of independent curating, museums and galleries, public art agencies, and art publishing.

The program was established in 2003 by the curators Kate Fowle and Ralph Rugoff. It provides practical training in curating and organizing exhibitions as well as rigorous study in the history of the discipline, modern and contemporary art history, theory, and criticism. Many courses take place off-site—both in the Bay Area and farther afield in Tokyo, Tijuana, Detroit, Vancouver, and elsewhere. Close, ongoing partnerships with outside organizations such as the Center for Land Use Interpretation (and, on campus, the CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, which is recognized internationally as a center for innovative exhibition practices) bring students into direct contact with artworks, archival materials, and artists, and allow them to engage in original research and collaborative projects. The other graduate programs at CCA also offer many opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange, and we privilege collective and collaborative forms of practice. The program organiz es numerous exhibitions, lectures, symposia, and other forums for the discussion of ideas.

Central to the philosophy of the program is the development of curriculum with faculty who are active professionals. Core instructors include curators, art historians, and other arts professionals from prominent institutions throughout the Bay Area. More than 170 curators, critics, scholars, and artists from around the world have taught courses since the program was launched. Through critical examination of these visitors' wide-ranging practices, students learn the intellectual and practical premises of current curatorial strategies and become familiar with diverse cultural, political, and institutional contexts for the exhibition of art.

101 WATTIS CURATORIAL FELLOWSHIP
The Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice, in collaboration with the CCA Wattis Institute and the 101/Artnow Collection, supports a paid, postgraduate curatorial research fellowship. It is available to a graduating student for nine months immediately following the completion of his or her degree on a one-time basis. In addition to regular curatorial duties at the CCA Wattis Institute, the fellow also organizes an exhibition of works from the 101 Collection and proposes works for acquisition.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMISSION (deadline: January 5, 2010)
• Undergraduate degree in the history of art, fine art, or other appropriate area of the humanities or social sciences
• Relevant practical experience in the visual arts and a demonstrated commitment to curating
• Strong interest in contemporary art

For full details on the application process please visit http://www.cca.edu/admissions/grad or contact Allison Terbush, program manager, at [email protected] or 415.551.9239.

Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice at
California College of the Arts
1111 Eighth Street
San Francisco CA 94107
T: 415.551.9239
http://www.cca.edu/curatorialpractice