The Curatorial Process

Our meeting in class after the Curators had visited Susan’s home discussed how we could organize the show and select work from her vast collection that embodies the exhibition.

Curatorial Ideas:

1. Retrospective
   1. Chronological
      1. Documents her development as an artist over time.
      2. Show pieces made by her in chronological order from her earliest pieces to now.
   2. Thematic
      1. Show pieces organized by style (rust print, quilt, collage, etc.)
      2. Show pieces organized by content and ideas (symbols, imagery, etc.)

1. Community Artist/Teacher
   1. Half or part of the show is dedicated to her work as an artists
      1. Pieces from her home or studio created over the years
   2. The other part of the show would be dedicated to her life as an educator
      1. Documentation of her early teaching
      2. Documentation of her more recent teaching (talk to documentation team)
      3. Pieces created by students of hers
      4. Information about the places she has taught and what she’s done there
2. Legacy as an Artist/Cultural Legacy
   1. Show dedicated to her work as an African American Artist
      1. The Tradition of quilts in the African American Community
      2. Her introduction from her grandmother
      3. The incorporation of prayer in her work
   2. Show dedicated to her work as a Fiber Artist
      1. Piggyback off the trendiness of Fiber Art in Boston right now (ICA/Shinique Smith)
      2. Show Thompson as a local artist with ties to the community
      3. Incorporate her approachability (accessibility) with the show

Determined by the vision of the curators and the class support, work selected for the exhibition called to concepts of lineage, family, and ancestry and the overall theme of legacy. 

The selections for the show: