My curatorial philosophy lies closely with my teaching philosophy. Through these roles, I am a facilitator creating an experience that allows for my students and visitors to do three things: question, explore, and engage. As a curator in an academic setting, it is my primary responsibility to connect collections and exhibitions to campus and community. I am dedicated to the educational impact that my role as curator can enhance the cultural life of students, faculty, staff, and the general public of the surrounding community of my institution. By enforcing the benefits of visual literacy through my curatorial practices, I hope to aid in creating lifelong learners who appreciate the cultural and intellectual significance of art and object in the 21st century.
Curating in the higher education capacity means the majority of my role is as educator. All of my curatorial functions, from developing a budget to hanging works on the gallery wall, are focused on creating a learning environment for students, faculty, staff, and the general public of the community. Utilizing experiential learning practices, object-based learning methods, and visual thinking strategies in the development of all curatorial aspects, I strive for a shared experience with those learning in the environment focused on process, rather than results, and discussion, rather than lecture. As part of a higher learning institution, it is my duty to keep education at the heart of the museum mission: to build learning environments out of exhibits in order to inspire and engage diverse audiences through collections, exhibitions, and public programming. Focused on social cognition, I try to create a learning environment that enhances the student/visitor experience in the museum field through educated questioning, determined exploration, and dedicated engagement. These are the tools that will prepare future generations of museum administrators and therefore are the methods I use to guide me in my own curatorial practices.
Alexandra Chamberlain 