Open Portfolio Exhibitions
Image by 2018 Graduate Student Award winner, Louise FisherThe printmaking world doesn’t just need artists and educators—it needs it needs writers, gallerists, and curators.
This year SGCI is putting a new twist on the Open Portfolio! We’re transforming it into a live, malleable “happening” where exhibitions will be culled from the work shown by Open Portfolio participants and featured at the conference as the 2020 Open Portfolio Exhibitions. The Open Portfolio will provide content for the conference and the curated Open Portfolio Exhibitions will highlight members’ work and focus upon the ideas evidenced in the moment at our annual gathering.
To cultivate the roles of curators, gallerists, and writers, both within our community and beyond, SGC International and Puertográfico are seeking members interested in being a part of the three curatorial teams that will present the 2020 Open Portfolio Exhibitions. Each curatorial team will include:
- one lead curator,
- one graduate student curatorial assistant,
- two undergraduate student curatorial assistants, and
- one student critic.
The lead curators of the three teams will include one Puerto Rican Curator (external-to-SGCI, receiving a $1000 honorarium), one Open Call Curator (external-to-SGCI, receiving a conference waiver, lodging at the conference hotel, airfare, and a $500 honorarium), and one SGCI Student Curator (receiving a $500 honorarium).
Exhibition themes or topics will be determined by the curators and curators must choose pieces to be exhibited from the works shown at Open Portfolio. The show is not to be worked out in advance of the Open Portfolio. The curator, however, may have an organizing principle in mind.
Together each curatorial team (minus the team critic) will:
- mine the morning’s three Open Portfolio sessions to form an exhibition;
- develop their exhibition on Thursday afternoon;
- notify artists of their participation in exhibitions by Thursday evening at 7:00 PM;
- use Friday to plan their exhibitions, prepare curatorial statements, and prepare thoughts for the Curators’ Forum;
- present their reflections upon the Open Portfolio at the Saturday morning Curators’ Forum; and
- hang the shows on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday evening the exhibitions will open as a part of the Puertográfico closing festivities—the 2020 Open Portfolio Exhibitions, the SGC International Awards Ceremony, and the Printmakers Ball.
Student critics will work with an art writing mentor during the conference to develop their critical writing skills. In the weeks following the conference each team critics’ essays will be featured on SGCI’s website with an online exhibitions of their respective show.
The 2020 SGCI Open Portfolio Exhibitions will add an element of spontaneity to the conference and ensure that it is about printmaking right now! By the end of the week, Open Portfolio participants may find themselves with an exhibition in San Juan; emerging artists interested in curation will gain experience from working with those already in the field; artists and curators will make connections; and the membership at large will get to watch it all unfold.
With many thanks to Cassandra Hooper and Rob Swainston, who helped develop this exciting new SGC International event!
The following positions are open for applications:
- Open Call Curator (external-to-SGCI),
- SGCI Student Curator,
- Graduate Student Curatorial Assistant,
- Undergraduate Student Curatorial Assistant, and
- Student Critic.
Please submit your CV and a statement of intent (300 word max) including your experience working with prints, drawings, artist’s books, and works on paper through this online form.
Apply by November 15th, 2019!
This application cycle is now closed. Please check back in September 2020 for info on Providence 2021.