Symposium on Training Art Curators to Take Place at VCUarts Qatar

VCUarts Qatar will host a symposium on April 8, titled, “Training Art Curators in the 21st Century”. 

The symposium will bring together leading experts in art history, archaeology, curatorial studies, and museum education to discuss innovations in bridging the academic and the practical when preparing a new generation of art curators. The symposium is free and open to the public and will take place from 8am to 4pm at VCUarts Qatar’s Atrium. 

Attendees and panelists at the event will debate and discuss subjects such as why art history matters, museum fellowships, becoming an art curator, engaging students with archaeological collections in museums, and instructional design perspectives. 

“Given its rapidly growing museum culture, Qatar’s institutions require professionals with a general knowledge of art, in terms of both historical content and methods, as well as cutting-edge skills in museum practice,” said Assistant Professor Radha Dalal from VCUarts Qatar’s Art History program. 

Speakers at the symposium, which is co-funded by Qatar National Research Fund and VCUarts Qatar, will include Dr. Charlotte Klonk, Professor of Art History and New Media at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin; Shaika Nasir Al-Nassr, Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Islamic Arts, Qatar Museums; Dr. Margaret A. Lindauer, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond; Dr. Priya Maholay-Jaradi, Convenor, Art History, Department of History at the National University of Singapore; Dr. Jelena Trkulja, Director of Education at Qatar Museums; Aisha Al Sowaidi, Curatorial Assistant III, at the Fire Station, Qatar Museums, and a VCUarts Qatar alumna; and many other experts in the field of curatorial training. 

The symposium is free and open to the public and will take place on April 8, from 8am to 4pm at VCUarts Qatar’s Atrium.

Program:

9am – 10am
Building an Art History Foundation through Online Resources in Qatar
Dr. Radha Dalal and Artemis Tzioli

Beyond the Classroom: Engaging the Public(s) with Museum Theory through Multimedia Learning
Dr. Serena Iervolino

What Have We Learned? From Benchmarking Educational Programs to Student Feedback on Digital Learning
Dr. Byrad Yyelland

Instructional Design Perspectives
Dr. Monica Orozco and Michael Reis

10am-10:30am Coffee Break

10:30 – 11:45am
Becoming Museum Professionals: An Historical Overview
Dr. Margaret A. Lindauer

Why Art History Matters: Museum Displays and the Myth of the White Cube
Dr. Charlotte Klonk

The Relevance of Art History to Curating and Museum Practice: A View from Singapore
Dr. Priya Maholay-Jaradi

Moderator: Dr. Sean Roberts

11:45am – 1pm Break

1pm – 2:15pm
Archaeological Museum Education: The experiences of object-based learning development at Sydney University Museums
Dr. Craig Barker

Engaging Students with Archaeological Collections in Museums
Dr. Helen Wickstead

Museum Fellowships in Curatorial Practice
Ms. Julia Forbes

Moderator: Dr. Margaret A. Lindauer

2:15pm – 2:45pm – Coffee Break

2:45pm – 4pm
Becoming an Art Curator in Qatar: A Roundtable Discussion
Dr.  Shaika Nasir Al-Nassr
Dr. Abdellah Karroum
Sheikha Maryam Hassan Mohammad Al Thani
Aisha Al Sowaidi
Dr. Serina Iervolino

Moderator: Jelena Trkulja

4-4:15pm
Closing Remarks