Development of the Metrocurator
Posted in Individualism, Museum Expansionism, Presentism on 19. May, 2009
Metrocurators is the term I used to describe a new generation of curator that’s lightweight, deals in very little bureaucracy, has a DIY attitude because of very limited funds and basically is running all over a city pushing small outbreaks of museums into public spaces. The motivation and the survival of a Metrocurator is based upon creativity. The former models of big established institutions look too slow and lumbering.
If you want comparisons, it’s like the graffiti writer versus the council clean up crews. It’s like innovative start-ups in Silicon Valley versus the big companies like Microsoft or IBM. If you care to ignore politics, its like Hamas compared to the American army.
I said in the original post, there’s “museum-y things” to be considered. I think I’ve found two missing pieces.
Public Collectors turned up in my delicious subscription. From the About page:
Public Collectors consists of informal agreements where collectors allow the contents of their collection to be published and permit those who are curious to directly experience the objects in person.
So ordinary people spend some time cataloging their personal collections and allow people to come have a look. So far, most of the collections are based in Chicago and made of books, films and vinyl (and the originator’s extensive collection of porn’n’ gore comics from Mexico).
This would be a valuable resource to the Metrocurator, who hasn’t got the ability to store, conserve or build collections of their own. Think about the numbers of personal collections in one city. It’s the Metrocurator’s job to recruit these people into lending a few objects as well as assisting in the correct cataloging and consulting on storage. That would take care of providing collections for the Metrocurator to use as opposed to having to rely on artist contacts to commission site-specific pieces.
The other missing jigsaw piece is funding. Sure, the Metrocurator could go through the usual channels of applying to grant giving organisations (or even find a venture culturalist). Or use “Crowd funding” like Kickstarter.com (found via Intelligent Naivety). Kickstarter (I’m so glad they kept the E) works like micro-philanthropy (as opposed to micro-credit) with people funding individual creative projects with pledges (I’d call them micro-grants). They also have a whole set of guidelines in place.
This may be a good way to fund the “building” each individual mini museum, especially when it comes to security. Or even finding the small amounts of funds for exhibitions.
With a bit of work, you can have exhibition space, collections and funding. I’m now trying to think of what else a Metrocurator needs in terms of infrastructure?
Other “infrastructure”: You’d need advertising. Paper/digital vehicles to get the word out. It could even come from the collectors themselves. Use collector “ego.” Wouldn’t it be flattering (or even a good marketing ploy on behalf of the collector) to be invited into this elite concept? Perhaps the collectors would “sponsor” their art themselves.
I completely pass this on to Mary Ann Devine for this http://www.maryanndevine.typepad.com/ for inspirational answers, but you don’t need advertising. A certain amount of branding, sure, but not advertising. Why would a Metrocurator want to bog themselves done with too much advertising? You know how best to get someone’s attention? Put something weird/unusual/different/amazing within their vision.
I like to remind people that the original post spoke a lot about putting this stuff on the streets. You don’t need more advertising for something sitting in the realm of advertisements.