Curating Bristol’s Fine Art displays
Posted on by Fay Curtis.
Athene Bain, on placement during her MA Curating course
In January 2016 I started the slightly daunting experience of undertaking an MA degree in Curating. I was born in Bristol and moved back in here in the summer of 2012 after graduating from Brighton University.
Over the 25 years I have been visiting Bristol Museum & Art Gallery I’ve seen it under go more changes than I can count of the top of my head and I was completely thrilled to be given a placement here for one day a week during my year-long MA course. I work under the supervision of Julia Carver (Curator of Visual Art) and have been shadowing her and other members of staff, helping with upcoming exhibitions over the past three months.
The Old Masters gallery during refurbishment.
It’s a total pleasure and thrill for me to be able to see behind the scenes of a museum I hold very dear to my heart and to be given the opportunity to contribute to its future is amazing. I have worked at the museum before in various capacities, meeting Jenny Gaschke a few years back to help with the writing and recording of audio guides when the French Art gallery was redeveloped in 2012. Now in 2016 it’s great to be working with Jenny again on the Old Masters gallery.
As I’m in the museum every Thursday I have been able to pop into the gallery every week and observe the progress that has been made, from seeing the space move from its former self with its huge chandelier and central cabinet to an empty space with half completed decoration to how it looks now with its new red walls and crisp white ceiling.
I’m excited about how the space will look once all the works are back in the space and re-hung to temporarily include Rembrandts ‘Self Portrait at the Age of 63’. It’s a work I have admired for a long time and to see it surrounded by the treasures Bristol Museum has in its Fine Art Collection will be a special and thought provoking delight that has universal appeal. I’ll also be working with a team of other students on organised family events around the temporary loan and look forward to the challenge of meeting new people and engaging with them, hearing their responses and feelings about the works on show.
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Read more
- February 2016: Conserving Bristol’s Fine Art displays
- January 2016: Transforming Bristol’s Fine Art displays