August 23, 2023

Let’s Talk Funding: The current impacts of this on curatorial practices.

“Money talks,” a saying created by wealthy men in power to insinuate that without wealth and funding, there is nothing further to discuss (correct me if I’m wrong). Not that I abide by this quote, but when it concerns curators being able to put on exhibitions within any institution, then money does have to have a say.

Curators need the resources as well as a team to put on meaningful and insightful exhibitions, but how do they receive that? Museums and galleries majorly receive funding through grants, loans, private donors, and public donations. Since the year of 2020, several museums and galleries have been able to recover by receiving funding from large donors and charities such as Arts Council England, The Wolfson Foundation, The Knight Foundation, and so much more. The only challenge that comes with funding from these institutions, private donors and grants is that it comes with certain criteria that the proposed exhibition or space has to follow to receive the funding.

From speaking with several practitioners based in England, there have been great sources of funding such as Art Council England that have been consistently championing diversity and inclusivity within art spaces. Though these resources have been helpful for many institutions, it has also brought me to think about independent curators and how are they receiving funding.

As an independent curator myself currently, the constant struggle is receiving funding and resources to put on pivotal exhibitions. How do we navigate this? I will say though that there have been many opportunities such as the Jerwood Arts Curatorial Accelerator Program, which is a 12-month curatorial and leadership development program for 11 early-career curators from working class/low socio-economic backgrounds, combining mentoring, online learning and immersive two-day visits to seven leading visual arts organizations across the UK. Opportunities such as this and many others truly do help, but I feel like there needs to be more.

I would say my main concern with some of the criteria required to receive funding for certain exhibitions is that the curatorial and the communications team at times have to water down or censor our language when concerning how we discuss identity and intersectionality within art spaces to obtain funding. This also leads me to what my next article will discuss on the impacts of marketing on curatorial frameworks which is also a result of funding requirements.

How can we propose for more institutions that receive larger amounts of funding to extend that support further exhibitions that champion diversity within museums as well as supporting independent curators that collaborate on some of these exhibitions we see within these large institutions?

Comment below if you any further curatorial funding support opportunities to share, and just your overall thoughts on current funding strategies within current museums and galleries.

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6 responses to “Let’s Talk Funding: The current impacts of this on curatorial practices.”

Chelsea

August 23, 2023

It’s concerning that funding requirements might influence how topics like identity and intersectionality are discussed in exhibitions. Diverse perspectives are vital in the art world. 🎨

Independent curators face challenges in securing funding, and it’s promising to see initiatives like the Jerwood Arts Curatorial Accelerator Program. Expanding such efforts and creating more opportunities for independent curators could enhance the diversity and richness of art exhibitions. 💡

Finding a balance between meeting funding criteria and maintaining the integrity of curatorial vision is crucial. It would be interesting to explore how institutions could adapt their funding requirements to better accommodate meaningful discussions of identity and inclusivity in art spaces. 🌟

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Julienne

August 23, 2023

The freedom to express one’s self through the arts is a natural human right and it’s so unfortunate that there has to be a choice of expression or a bill being paid.

I think that collaboration is key in any partnership and providing opportunities is essential to giving those who don’t have a platform the chance to show what they got, but at what cost? To think there are hundreds of not thousands of masterpieces the world will never get to see because the funding channel didn’t align. Don’t get me wrong I do believe that the party providing the funds should have a say to some degree because their name is behind what they are funding as well. However over and over again we see that the desire to share has become a weapon to force the hand of the artist to change their brushstrokes to depict an image that is so disconnected to them .

Like the old saying goes “You need money to make money”, maybe there needs to be even more opportunities that can cover more bases but until then there needs to be a better way of finding the middle ground!

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M. François

August 24, 2023

Your thoughts about the influence of money on curatorial work and exhibitions are spot-on. Funding absolutely play a crucial role in bringing meaningful exhibitions to life. While institutions and private donors provide support, it’s also encouraging to see initiatives like the Jerwood Arts Curatorial Accelerator Program offering opportunities for independent curators. I think that building on these efforts could certainly lead to more diverse and inclusive art spaces. Lovely read!

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Sascha

August 24, 2023

I never gave it much thought that within the realm of communication within a museum space that censorship still exists and how it goes back to how funding is raised in order to have thoughtful exhibitions that are inclusive, thank you for sharing!

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Celeste

August 24, 2023

As art is so integral to culturally educating people it is concerning that a lack of funding could drastically affect a curators ability to shed light on topics like intersectionality or identity without censorship.
It is inspiring that there are entities that are creating opportunities for independent curators coming from marginalized communities. Especially since these individuals create a richer environment within museums and galleries alike.
I can understand that financial entities may want to have some say as it is their money that is being used. However, it would be interesting to see what it would look like if a set portion of funding could be allocated specifically to allowing curators to work sans censorship.

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anajtho

August 28, 2023

As a museum lover who is not as well versed with what goes on behind the scenes, it’s a shame to think about how limiting it can be to source funding. I find it interesting to think about the place that money holds in the art world and how many voices are quieted, important conversations never had because money was an issue. I think a great solution to this is the DIY approach, holding shows in personal spaces and doing what you can with what you have. However, I completely understand the need for sponsored and funded exhibitions and think there is much change to be made in the way that this funding is found, especially for more marginalized artists or controversial showings. I am 100% for these things to be brought to the forefront and for artists to be able to express to the fullest without being censored or watered down because that is the only true art.

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