CURATORIAL MENTORSHIP SERIES

Building on the success and learnings from Being Scene: Tending to What Remains 2025, this two-part program aims to strengthen the collaborative relationship between guest curators and artists at Workman Arts. By providing targeted mentorship and skill-sharing, we aim to create more inclusive, accessible, and artist-centered exhibition practices while supporting the professional development of both emerging curators and artists within our community.

Moderated and organized by Manar Abotouk.

This talk will equip potential guest curators with the practical knowledge and ethical frameworks needed to work effectively within Workman Arts’ unique ecosystem. Drawing from real-world experience and lessons learned from Tending to What Remains, we’ll explore the multifaceted role of a guest curator, from initial planning to exhibition closing.

Key points: 

• Understanding the Ecosystem: navigating relationships between institution, curator, and artists
• Team Management: Identifying the main team at Workman Arts and building collaborative work relationships
• Shared Responsibilities: Defining clear expectations and creating balanced partnerships
• Inclusive Curatorial Practice: Centering accessibility and diverse working methods
• Process & Logistics: Timelines, contracts, and administrative workflows
• Ethical Considerations: Avoiding power imbalances and fostering equitable collaboration

This workshop will empower artists to effectively collaborate with curators by providing them with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to advocate for their needs and participate meaningfully in the exhibition process as well as understand how to work with a curator. The workshop will create a safe space for artists to explore successful curator-artist dynamics and develop strategies for positive collaboration.

Key points:

• Understanding Curatorial Thinking (How to interpret curatorial vision and feedback, building mutual understanding and respect)
• Exhibition Design & Space Activation (Making the most of the exhibition space, how artists can contribute to spatial planning, understanding technical requirements and installation processes)
• Access & Accommodations (Knowing your rights and needs, how to request accommodations effectively, creating stress-free collaborative environments, avoiding accommodation abuse and ethical considerations)
• The Curatorial Workflow (Understanding the institution-curator-artist timeline, key milestones, deliverables, and decision making, what to expect at each stage of the process)
• Contracts & Agreements (Understanding artist agreements, protecting your rights while maintaining collaboration, navigating shared responsibilities)
• Interactive Elements: (Role-playing exercises for accommodation requests, collaborative problem-solving sessions, case studies from “Tending to What Remains”, resource sharing and peer support)