Writing on the Wall in College Gallery Space: Interdisciplinary Collaborations in Exhibition Interpretation

This presentation details a collaborative teaching and experiential learning initiative undertaken in Fall 2022 at Purchase College between Professor Melissa Forstrom’s Exhibition Practice and Management course and Maass Gallery Director, Greg Wharmby to interpret a group show of the MFA- Visual Arts students’ work. In an effort to engage and expand new gallery audiences and train undergraduate Museum Studies minor students to interpret contemporary art, Professor Forstrom and Director Wharmby created curriculum and assignments working toward the goal of interpretation creation. During the course of the semester, undergraduate students were grouped together and assigned MFA students to conduct artist interviews to begin drafting interpretation for the group exhibition. This initiative was expanded to include collaboration with Professor Benjamin Santiago’s Community Design course to design the interpretative pamphlet. Beyond providing an interdisciplinary experiential learning opportunity for students, the initiative arguably increased awareness of the Maass gallery and its potential for creating a sense of community and belonging among students and the Purchase publics. Detailing the inception of this initiative, the process of collaborative teaching and planning including experiential learning, field trips, guest lectures, and importantly lessons-learned, this presentation aims to inform and discuss new interdisciplinary and institutional collaborative directions in undergraduate education as it relates to the exhibition and interpretation of living artists on the Purchase College campus.