Skidmore News

Issue date: 3/12/10 Section: Cover Story

Media Credit: Chris Weigl

When students and faculty go to the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, they see exhibits strategically assembled in a way that is visually appealing. But what really goes on behind the scenes at the Tang?

"I think that those experiences that students and other visitors have when they come to the museum hides all of the work that goes into making that experience possible," said Chief Curator and Associate Director of the Tang Ian Berry.

Numerous people contribute to the upkeep of the Tang. The curators of exhibits range from Berry himself, to Berry collaborating with faculty, to other members of the Tang staff, to individuals who curate at other museums.

The registrars of the museum, Elizabeth Karp and Ryan Lynch, care for the objects in the college's collection as well as the pieces in the shows. Among many things, they handle insurance matters and the handling of pieces. If a piece is moved from one space to another, they are present and make sure that it is done carefully.

One of the tasks of graphic designer Patrick O'Rourke is to create the labels for the pieces on display. Vickie Riley, the digital resources content producer, manages all digital aspects of the Tang, including the Web site and video recordings.

The Tang also staffs two full time building managers, Chris Kobuski and Torrance Fish, who serve as the installation team. Five to six more people are hired during specific periods of installation or when an exhibit is ending. It is their job to assemble the exhibits. They have knowledge of lighting, carpentry, painting and art handling, among other things.

There are also individuals who maintain the administrative duties involved in keeping the museum running. They compile the mailing list, run the Tang gift shop and manage the schedule for the gallery monitors. "In the end, it's a lot of people behind the scenes that make those projects look the way they look when you visit," Berry said.

The first step in creating an exhibit is research. Berry and members of the Tang staff acquire information by meeting with artists, reading art books and magazines and traveling to see exhibitions.

"Ian sees a lot of art. He goes to New York City, he has a lot of artist friends. He travels across the country all of the time and is seeing shows, meeting artists, meeting other people. He's pulling from all of the things he's seeing that he thinks are really great stuff that say something about how we live now and would bring that international pedigree of artist to upstate New York," said Curatorial Assistant Megan Hyde.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools