ARTS 255   Museum Exhibitions: Design, Rhetoric, and Interpretation

Takes advantage of special learning opportunities that arise in conjunction with temporary museum exhibitions and/or permanent installations. Normally focuses on at least two related exhibitions that are currently on view either on Colgate’s campus or at nearby institutions. Students will meet with curators to learn about the exhibit and the decision-making process behind it. Students will examine how museums use wall text, labels, juxtapositions, frames, cases, lighting, architecture, and, above all, their choices of what to include and exclude, to craft particular narratives and encourage particular interpretations of objects and historical phenomena. May also include a hands-on practicum as well, giving students the opportunity to curate and install a real exhibition of their own design.