University of Maine Museum of Art's Young Curators Program

Some kids have sports.

Some kids have music.

Some have both.

Noelle's 'thing' is definitely reading & writing.   She quite enjoys the fine arts as well.

Young Curators is such a super great program to speak to these strengths and interests of hers!

The University of Maine Museum of Art is located in downtown Bangor.  The first time Noelle & Micah ever went is when their fabulous Science teacher, (and lover of the arts), took them there.  Admission is sponsored and therefore free.  Another time I was there with all three kids actually, plus I had brought another child with me, and it was on this Field Trip that I heard about the Young Curators program.  I knew immediately it would be a great fit for Noelle. 

This year was her second year participating.  It is only the third year that UMMA had its Young Curators program.  The program is for 11-17 year olds, so Noelle has been about the youngest student both years.  

Eva is the Educational Director at UMMA and we think she is just fabulous.

Young Curators meets for about 8 weeks in the months of April, May & June.  They meet for two hours a week.  As the name suggests, they curate an exhibition for the summer season.  (UMMA changes its exhibits 4 times a year.)  They collaborate to select artwork from UMMA's permanent collection.  They develop a theme for their exhibit, research, and write.  They then present their work at a Member's Preview opening reception.

Participating in Young Curators has provided a number of enriching experiences for Noelle.  They have met with museum staff members to learn about all the different possible positions/careers involved in an art museum.  This has included frame construction, (something they got to try their hand at), pamphlet writing, curating, directing, etc.  

They have had a number of special speakers.  A UMaine Art History professor gave a talk this year about curating and writing for art.  Noelle learned about the different dynamics of curating for a small museum vs. a larger one.  Last year an art writer came.

I think that one of the greatest benefits of the program is the collaboration and team effort.  The students have to work together to decide the title of their exhibit, the theme and agree on which works of art to include.  The exhibit uses pieces from the permanent collection.  Eva narrows down the choices and the Young Curators make the final selection.  This teamwork is such an important life skill!

A major portion of the program is about writing.  Last year UMaine grad students helped them with their writing.  Noelle explained to me that she has learned a lot about writing for art.  She was taught that the writing should not include opinions and also how to write for a specific audience.  Both years she has participated in Young Curators they have done the downtown Bangor Artwalk, which has been a great cultural experience as well as good practice in presenting her research, artist, and selected works.  She learned to write a bit differently for the Artwalk than for the Member's Preview, which was composed of people well-versed in art and sometimes well-versed in a specific artist or piece.

After the group selects the theme and specific pieces of art, it is research and writing time!  What a wonderful experience!  They do some work at home & some at the museum.  They write wall labels but they also want to be very familiar with the artist and art piece they are writing about and presenting.  This year this was emphasized even more.  Noelle wanted to be prepared for all questions she might get asked.  The UMMA doesn't go easy on the students!  They want to make sure the Young Curators aren't just making up answers but really understand the piece and the artist.  This was hard work and involved practice.  The finished wall labels are a big accomplishment.

This year the Young Curators also had the opportunity to travel to Colby College together for an exhibit there.  I think there may have also been an art talk but I am not sure.

We highly, highly, highly recommend UMMA's Young Curators program!  

Did I mention that it is free??

This is a big deal for us because we just simply cannot afford to pay for this type of experience.  If you live in our area and are interested in applying for next year's group, I suggest you contact Eva at UMMA.