Community Curation: Your Own Take

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The three sections in Triple Take: Dialogues with the Terra Collection-in-Residence were organized by different curators who used various strategies to make connections between the Terra Foundation loans and artworks in the Ackland’s collection. Consider the approaches used by the curators for each section as you explore the exhibition, and think about how you might go about gathering a group of works around a central theme or idea.

Now it’s your turn to participate in our community curation project. Follow the instructions below to create a digital object folder on the Ackland’s website where you’ll add artworks based on one of the four paintings on loan to the Ackland from the Terra Foundation.

  1. Choose one of the four works on loan to the Ackland from the Terra Foundation as inspiration for your digital exhibition.
    1. Lyonel Feininger, German, active in Germany and America, 1871- 1956, Denstedt, 1917, oil on canvas, image: 34 3/8 × 46 5/8 in. (87.3 × 118.4 cm), frame: 44 7/8 × 57 1/4 in. (114 × 145.4 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1988.27, L2023.2.1. Click here to view the artwork in eMuseum.
    2. Ammi Phillips, American, 1788–1865, Girl in a Red Dress, c. 1835, oil on canvas, 32 3/8 x 27 3/8 in. (82.2 x 69.5 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1992.57, L2023.2.2. Click here to view the artwork in eMuseum.
    3. Robert Henri, American, 1865–1929, Sylvester, 1914, oil on canvas. image: 32 × 26 in. (81.3 × 66 cm); frame: 39 1/4 × 33 1/4 in. (99.7 × 84.5 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2017.2, L2023.2.4. Click here to view the artwork in eMuseum.
    4. Archibald John Motley Jr., American, 1891-1981, Between Acts, 1935, oil on canvas, image: 39 1/2 × 32 in. (100.3 × 81.3 cm), frame: 45 3/16 × 27 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (114.8 × 70.5 × 3.8 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2009.1, L2023.2.3. Click here to view the artwork in eMuseum.
  2. Think about how you might connect this artwork with others from the Ackland’s collection. Here are some questions and prompts to get you started:
    1. Is there a visual element in the painting that you’re interested in exploring? Perhaps a particular color, brush stroke, or shape stands out to you.
    2. Who is the artist of this artwork? Do a little research to find out more about them. Is there something about the artist that might inspire a theme for your digital exhibition?
    3. Think about the location and time period in which this artwork was created. How might this information inspire connections to other Ackland artworks?
    4. When you visit the exhibition at the Ackland, read the wall label for your selected artwork. Does something you read spark ideas for a selection of other objects?
  3. Visit the Ackland’s website. Click on “Collections” under the “Look” tab. Here you can browse through the different collection areas or use the Ackland’s eMuseum collection search to find objects that align with your curatorial vision.
  4. When you’re ready to create your folder, go back to the Ackland’s “Collections” page and click “Favorites.” Here you’ll see folders that other people have made. Click “Sign In” on the right side. This is where you’ll be able to make a free account in order to create your object folder.
  5. Once you’ve logged in to your new account, click “My Favorites” to create a new folder of artworks. Be sure to give your folder a title starting with “Community Curation” followed by the name of your digital exhibition. For example, you’ll see a folder called “Community Curation: Abstracted Environments.”
  6. You can now add objects to your folder. Start by adding the Terra work you selected. Go to the artwork’s eMuseum page and click the “Favorites” button.
  7. When you’ve added all of your objects and are ready to make your folder public, go back to your “My Favorites” page, click “Edit” under your folder, check the “Public” option, and click “Save.”
  8. Now you will see your folder under the “Community Favorites” tab. Be sure to view the virtual exhibition folders curated by other community members.