Throughout the process of developing this exhibition, educational goals were of equal importance and parallel to artistic goals.
-- Curator George Ciscle

One goal of the exhibition Joyce J. Scott Kickin' It with the Old Masters was to establish a model for a new dynamic among art schools, museums and their communities, all connected by the creativity of a professional artist.

The project's design presented an opportunity for students at Maryland Institute, College of Art (MICA) to learn firsthand about the complex process of mounting a multi-faceted exhibition -- from the artist, from museum professionals and from college faculty. Students were involved in many phases of the effort, helping to develop and implement the exhibition as well as its accompanying programs and special publications. Their efforts were channeled through The Curatorial Experience, a yearlong seminar that incorporated internships and work with the artist. The instructor was George Ciscle, MICA curator-in residence and curator of the Joyce Scott exhibition.

Among their many activities, students reviewed Scott's past and present work, researched contextual information, wrote interpretive texts and explored installation design. As the BMA's exhibition apprentices, they:

• worked in the artist's studio
• served as research assistants
• supported the curator's work in mounting the exhibition
• assisted the designer and editor of the exhibition catalog
• developed outreach and educational programs within the museum as well as at outreach sites throughout the region
• assisted with the development of the exhibition's Activity Center

"I think it's been a real learning experience for all of us who never really understood how hard it is to put together all the pieces that you see in an exhibition like this," concludes Fred Lazarus, President of the Maryland Institute, College of Art.

Continuing Studies

To celebrate Joyce Scott's exhibition, The Maryland Institute's Office of Continuing Studies developed a number of courses and workshops that drew upon or utilized elements of Joyce J. Scott Kickin' It With the Old Masters. They include:

• Joyce Scott: Art Diva and the Devil's Advocate (seminar conducted in collaboration with the BMA)
• Surface Design: The Art of Fabric
• Women in Post Modern Art: Women on the Edge
• Stitched and Fused: Combining Traditional Beadwork with Enameling (sessions led by Joyce Scott and another teacher)
• Manipulating the Masters: The Work of Baltimore Artist Joyce Scott

Want more information? Contact kcarlin@mica.edu