This assignment must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the due date shown using the Turnitin submission system available through the iLearn website for the unit.

Artists' Statements are a key part of presenting and displaying an artwork or performance. A number of examples of artists' statements will be given out in class as models of conventional practice. In addition, examples of several artists' works/performances will be presented and discussed in tutorials. 

For this task you are required to undertake independent research on an artist/performer and write a 500 word Artist's Statement for them. The Statement should be written as if it were to be used in a festival program. Although artists normally write their own statements, this is an exercise in designing and editing such statements as curatorial practice.

Assessment Criteria

• Does the written statement clearly and succinctly identify the artist's ouvre of work?
• Is the language used both coherent and interesting?
• Does the statement reveal an understanding for conventional forms of artists' statements? 

This assignment must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the due date shown using the Turnitin submission system available through the iLearn website for the unit.

1000 - 1200 words

Review a current (or recent) show of curated works. Presume your review is to be published in a mainstream print media outlet. You may review an arts festival, a music festival, an art exhibition, a performance event, or some other mixed media show. Alternatively you may wish to use the field trip we organize to the Gallery of NSW (or elsewhere) as the basis of your review.

Provide an overall description of the show/event, then discuss the curatorial themes evident in the show's presentation (including associated published material like program guides and catalogues). In addition, discuss strategies used to display/present and promote the event, noting particularly any innovative forms of design and/or organisation. Furthermore, make some reference to how the artistic endeavour is part of a broader tradition of practice within the art world. Pay particular attention to how your review might attract an audience to the event.

Provide a list of references associated with your comments about broader traditions of practice. This reference list should follow conventional academic citation style even though such a list would not normally be included within a review of this nature.

Assessment Criteria

• Does the descriptive statement give a clear impression of the works and/or performances being considered?
• Are curatorial themes discussed with clear reference to the works displayed/performed?
• Are logical and innovative references made to a broader tradition of arts practice?
• Is the language clear and does the review make the reader interested in attending the event?

The majority of this assignment must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the due date shown, using the Turnitin submission system available through the iLearn website for the unit. Support Materials (as outlined below) may need to be handed in as hard copy. 

A limited list of potential themes for a multi-practice contemporary arts event are given below. Either choose one of these themes, or make up your own theme, and develop a proposal for a contemporary Australian arts event based on that theme. Your proposal should identify at least three artists, groups or ensembles who will participate in the event. The thematic design should provide scope for others to contribute.

Potential Themes

• Year of the Dog
• Colonization
• Marginalization
• Subverting the Normal
• Cross-Cultural Cosmologies
• In Miniature
• Bigger than Life
• Pulse of the Nation

Your proposal will have four segments to it: Description; Curatorial Essay; Support Materials, and; Budget

Description

Provide details on the event with a title, location, dates and times. These are hypothetical but should be realistic.

Curatorial Essay

Write a 1500 word essay about the thematic framework for the proposed event. The overarching theme should be discussed as well as potential sub-themes. The three artists you have chosen should be described and the way their work potentially contributes to the overarching themes of the event should be detailed. Discuss how the event contributes to a broader tradition of arts practice and creativity. In particular, consider aspects of creativity theory that have been explored in this unit and discuss ways in which your proposed event resonates with (or illustrates) these theories in some way. The essay should be in standard academic style with a reference list.

Support Materials

Provide images of the event. For example, this could be a map indicating how the exhibition will be presented or a poster with some graphic design elements. Your own content may be used in the support material design as well as content by the artists involved in the event. Note: This component may need to be submitted in hard copy format separate to the Description, the Curatorial Essay and the Budget.

Budget

Provide a budget of the proposed event. This should include income, expenses, in-kind support and artists' fees. Templates for the four sections will be provided via iLearn. 

Assessment Criteria

Is the treatment of the thematic elements of the event innovative and integrative?

Does the design of the event demonstrate knowledge of curatorial practices in arts and music?

Does the design of the project enhance creativity and creative practice across art forms?

Is the language used clear, and is the Curatorial Essay in standard academic style?

Does the budget demonstrate a realistic understanding for arts funding practices and conventions?

Do the Support Materials demonstrate a creative approach to curatorial practice?