Now, when it comes to getting work accepted into museums...it is very, very hard. At least when it comes to getting into the better known museums. (And I'm not talking about Gugg or MOMA, I mean medium size museums.) Sometimes it can take 1-1/2 years to get approval.
You not only have to be favored by the Curator, but the Deputy Director and Director has to like your work as well as the Board.
In my early days of museum work I learned a hard lesson. My work was accepted by the Curator and presented to the Board by the Director. I felt sure they would accept it. So much that I listed it on my bio as in their permanent collection. Then after the Board met in 5 months I got the news the Board voted against accepting the gift. I had to rush and remove it from my bio. Luckily the mishap did not go any further.
Here is a rundown of what a photography Curator does...I've red faced the main problem below.
The Curator of Photographs will have overall responsibility for the stewardship and development of the Museum’s extensive holdings of photographs.· The Curator of Photographs will be responsible for but not limited to performing the following job functions:
- Provides overall direction to the department and its activities including the mission, goals, and strategies of the Art Museum.
- Demonstrates curatorial responsibility for all art objects within the aegis of the curatorial department, and works in cooperation with other curators where departmental responsibilities for art objects overlap, for example with contemporary art or where an artist is ascribed dual nationalities.
- Cares for, researches, documents, exhibits, preserves (in consultation with the Conservation Department), and publishes works of art in the permanent collection, including those in storage or display.
- Responsible for the generation of temporary exhibitions, whether from concept or by assignment, organized by the Museum or by another institution.· Exhibitions involve organizing, researching, writing, supervising and/or coordinating details such as lectures, catalogues, brochures, labels, installation, photography, gallery tours, publicity, fund raising, presentations on· the exhibition topic, selection and negotiation of loans, hosting lenders and artists, and preparation of and adherence to budgets.· Museum procedures have to be followed, and all activities have to be coordinated with all relevant existing divisions such as: Museum Services, Development, Marketing/Public Service, and Learning and Interpretation.
- Lectures and writes on works of art in the Museum’s permanent collection(s) for scholarly meetings and/or publications, or general and particularized programs within the Museum, for books, newspapers, and general publications, all within the limits of curatorial specialties and based on or related to the permanent collections of the Museum.· Where necessary, all writing (e.g., grant writing, newspaper writing, brochure texts) must be coordinated with the proper division, such as Learning and Interpretation, Development, or Marketing/Public Service.
- Seeks and recommends new acquisitions of gifts or purchases within the curatorial specialties or the permanent collections, including scholarly research and background material to justify consideration of a given art object or objects and prepares acquisition worksheets.·
Gifts and purchases are recommended by the curator to the Deputy Director, Curatorial Affairs who recommends them to the Director and ultimately the Collections and Acquisitions Committee of the Board.· No works of art may be purchased or accepted as gifts without the Director’s and the Board’s approval.
- Furnishes consultation and advice on art matters to other museums, public and private collectors, at no time suggesting financial appraisals.
- Installs and labels works of art in the permanent collections in concert with the divisions of Learning and Interpretation and Museum Services.
- Responsible for division, maintaining and adhering to all relative budgets, including those related to permanent installations, temporary exhibitions, the department and special projects.· Where applicable, supervises departmental staff, including volunteers.
- Responsible for docent training, public lectures, gallery talks, and press education for selected projects in coordination with the divisions of Development, Learning and Interpretation, and Marketing/Public Service.
- Supports the fund-raising and public relations efforts of the Museum, in coordination with the divisions of Development and Marketing/Public Services.
- Serves as liaison between the Museum and departmental visiting committees and other groups with special interest in or support of the department.· Represents museum at social and civic events.
- Serves on various committees or panels, and attends meetings demanded by the position.
- Acts as courier in U.S. and abroad in coordination with the division of Museum Services.· Attends conferences and lectures, and visits museums and dealers in U.S. and abroad.
- Performs other miscellaneous duties as assigned by the Chief Curator.
Requirements: M.A. in Art History (Ph.D. preferred) with a minimum of five years relevant experience in the field.
Skills necessary: A proven ability to work successfully with others to achieve institutional objectives.· Must possess a broad familiarity with photographs; a demonstrated knowledge of museum practices; excellent written and oral communication skills; good working knowledge of database, word processing, and other relevant computer programs; and a commitment to both scholarship and working with diverse public constituencies; ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from museum staff, donors, members of the museum, and the general public.·
The Curator of Photographs must be able to create and manage program budgets.
End
Can you imaging doing all the work to acquire works of art, getting the Deputy Director, then the Director on board, work on it for over a year, then having the Board of Directors vote it down. And I'm not talking purchases either, I am talking free gifts.
Now of course museums have to be fussy. But if the art was not good to start with it could never get as far as a Board vote. None of the people I've mentioned along the chain of command are artists or photographers. (At least one's whose work would ever get into a museum.) But if artists ran the museums they would really be in deep $$ trouble!
It is much, much easier getting work accepted into the special collections of rare book libraries. But the catch is libraries usually wont accept loose prints, but they will accept bound prints. Museums usually wont accept bound prints, but they will accept loose prints. (If your lucky.)
With rare book libraries you only have to get approval from the Director or the head special collections librarian. And I am not talking about any library, I am talking about the most prestigious libraries in the world.
But, if you thinking of contacting Oxford Bodleian or the British Library to send your Blurb book to their special collections....forget it. I am talking about very special, limited edition, hand printed, hand bound books on rag paper that I produce that would sell for $5000 a copy. (The Hahn duo rag paper alone is $160 per book.)
Those are the type of contemporary photo books they will accept into the special collection. And the books must have content they want as well. In my case, a $5000 book did not matter, as my content was not liked by some Directors that refused the gift.
Still I was successful about 14 times out of 60 with my rare book library solicitations and getting my limited edition book placed. (Three of the rare book libraries even accepted loose print portfolios in addition to my book. So always ask, you never know. I am reducing the size of the portfolio I offer to 11 x 14 from 13 x 19 for any future solicitations. It is getting too expensive shipping large size prints overseas.)
Once you have a footing with the rare book libraries you may have a chance with getting the curators attention at a connected museum. Such as Victoria and Albert in the UK, Getty's GRI, Rhode Island School of Design, they all have an art museum and connection to their art library.
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/37/37138-63809b91a8061d61d48c541f18a69861.jpg?1734169836)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/40/40301-fa48a5125a6849a0a400dff1599c4b30.jpg?1734174710)
![[No title]](/data/xfmg/thumbnail/40/40305-2fbdc00adce4fac5e62dccb3f6f9c633.jpg?1734174713)
