"As an artist, I have my own meaning for my work and I’ve known that the viewer also has the right to their own interpretation, but curating taught me that the curator also has a right to their own interpretation. The relationship between curator and artist is one of negotiation."
— Emily Goodbrand, BA Art + Design (2022)
Emily Goodbrand is a recent Art + Design graduate from Trinity Western University, originally from Vermilion, Alberta. In addition to being exhibited in various student exhibitions, this year Emily made her curatorial debut at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford as the museum's Emerging Curator.
As part of this experience, Emily curated an exhibition for the Art on Demand project, a special series housed within a flexible space that features the work of emerging artists and curators, and provides opportunity for emerging artists to network with fellow artists and art professionals in B.C.'s Fraser Valley.
Here below, Emily offers her reflections on the highlights of being this year's Emerging Curator at The Reach Gallery Museum.
With words by Emily Goodbrand
Hi Emily! What is a curator, and what is your role at The Reach Gallery Museum?
The Reach offers the Emerge program, funded by the RBC Emerging Artists Project Grant, which seeks to provide a valuable opportunity for students like me to make their curatorial debut and to give emerging artists between the ages of 18 and 35 the chance to exhibit at The Reach. It’s a great line to have on their Curriculum Vitae, which will aid them in exhibiting in other places. And for those who are accepted to the curator role, it introduces one to the world of curatoration and opens the door to further opportunities. I applied for the curatorial position last April and was accepted, so I’ve been doing this art field placement there for the entire school year, from September to April.
A curator organizes an exhibition and I was mentored by other curators at The Reach to learn about this process. I was walked through the motions of curating, reviewing the submissions of artists who desired to exhibit in the gallery space, determining who would be a good fit, then conducting studio tours with several artists to learn more about them and their work.
"...The curator determines how the work will be presented in the gallery, considering not only which pieces will be displayed and how, but also how these behind-the-scenes decisions about the exhibition’s presentation will influence the interpretation of the exhibition by the viewer."
A curator learns what the artist is doing through their work and aims to have a comprehensive understanding of it. From there, the curator determines how the work will be presented in the gallery, considering not only which pieces will be displayed and how, but also how these behind-the-scenes decisions about the exhibition’s presentation will influence the interpretation of the exhibition by the viewer. The curator is the one who guides the interpretations of the work through the way it is presented and also through the text that accompanies it, such as a curatorial essay as I have done. This curatorial essay aids the viewer in understanding the work and its context, and it may prompt the viewer to understand it in a certain light.
Tell us about the Art on Demand exhibitions this spring and your role in the projects.
I have been guided through the curation of two shows featuring emerging artists, from reviewing submissions, conducting studio visits, conversing with the artists, writing exhibition statements, planning layouts, and installing the exhibitions. I was mentored by Adrienne Fast, the Curator of Arts and Visual Culture, and Kate Bradford, the Assistant Curator. Adrienne largely mentored me in learning what a curator does and all the tasks that one was responsible for, as well as discussing with me how to write a curatorial essay and its function. I selected the artists I desired to curate for in November and conducted studio tours with them.
"...As curator, I connected the work of the two artists through a common theme that arose out of both—time and memory—and through the way they worked in their different media in an innovative and experimental way."
From there, I determined who I wanted to be in each exhibition—Art on Demand 8.1 in January and Art on Demand 8.2 in March. Art on Demand 8.1 ended up as a group exhibition between Cassidy Luteijn and Emilie Kvist, and as curator, I connected the work of the two artists through a common theme that arose out of both—time and memory—and through the way they worked in their different media in an innovative and experimental way. Since their work differed so greatly in appearance, connecting them in my curatorial essay was critical. In writing this essay, I referred to conversations I had with each artist about their work and read what they had written about their own work in their artist statements and websites, but also had license to weave or emphasize a new interpretation that differed slightly from their own. I found that this was a new concept for me. As an artist, I have my own meaning for my work and I’ve known that the viewer also has the right to their own interpretation, but curating taught me that the curator also has a right to their own interpretation. The relationship between curator and artist is one of negotiation.
My second show, Art on Demand 8.2, was a slightly different experience. I had the privilege of curating a show of the work of Chantelle Trainor-Matties, an Indigenous artist. It was such a positive experience working with her and she was so patient in educating me about her heritage and the way she explored that in her work. As a non-Indigenous person, I aimed to ask lots of questions and be in constant conversation throughout the entire curatoring process, particularly in the writing of the curatorial essay. This time, the essay did not promote my own interpretation of Chantelle’s work; as Chantelle’s work explored her embrace of her Indigenous heritage, it was wisest to primarily listen, record, and have her review what I had written in order for my essay to be a respectful reflection of her journey.
"I had the privilege of curating a show of the work of Chantelle Trainor-Matties, an Indigenous artist. It was such a positive experience working with her and she was so patient in educating me about her heritage and the way she explored that in her work."
An aspect I particularly loved during this field placement was the preparator role. Being a preparator is the hands-on element, understanding the layout of the exhibition and conducting the “how” of the installation process. Kate Bradford was the main mentor of this part of my field placement and taught me so many different skills, including how to hang art on walls traditionally, how to hang things from the ceiling through the grid system, adjusting lighting, construction techniques, and much more. When I prepared to hang the Art on Demand shows, I would make plans for layout, discuss these things with Kate, and then adjust with her advice and encouragement. The installation process is very satisfying to me, particularly the calculations and physical labour required. It’s very rewarding to stand back and observe the results of a hard day’s work. We also got to hold gallery openings for both shows, which The Reach hasn’t been able to do for two years. I spoke at both events, and these events served as an exciting time to share our hard work and the fantastic work of the artists.
"This placement has given me ample opportunity to be immersed in a gallery setting, and the hands-on experience and one-on-one mentorship that I have received has been invaluable. Being able to work in a real-world workplace, observing what a career in the arts entails, has been greatly beneficial to my understanding of the reality of the careers of artists and curators and the relationship between the two."
What have you appreciated most about this experience of working as the Emerging Curator at The Reach Gallery Museum?
This placement has given me ample opportunity to be immersed in a gallery setting, and the hands-on experience and one-on-one mentorship that I have received has been invaluable. Being able to work in a real-world workplace, observing what a career in the arts entails, has been greatly beneficial to my understanding of the reality of the careers of artists and curators and the relationship between the two. I’ve been really blessed to be able to learn skills in a hands-on environment, through conversation and being walked through manual tasks. Not once have they made me feel incompetent and this has given me confidence moving forward with all that I’ve been learning here. I’ve appreciated Kate’s words of affirmation and Adrienne’s positive attitude, and I’ve stored many words of wisdom both have shared. I am very thankful for their guidance.
"I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity because it has equipped me with the experience and skills necessary for any similar jobs that I would like to pursue post-graduation. It also made me aware of careers in the arts that I didn’t know existed, such as being a preparator of exhibitions, which is something that I would love to pursue and feel like I am now able to."
I am so grateful that I was given this opportunity because it has equipped me with the experience and skills necessary for any similar jobs that I would like to pursue post-graduation. It also made me aware of careers in the arts that I didn’t know existed, such as being a preparator of exhibitions, which is something that I would love to pursue and feel like I am now able to. As a student nearing graduation—and a student in the arts, at that—jumping into a career in my field has seemed daunting and improbable, but this experience has given me hope that it can be done.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.