Curate an Art Exhibition

Proof required

Submit your curatorial concept document (300–500 words) and a list of at least four participating artists with their names, discipline, and a one-sentence description of the work they are contributing. Include confirmation that each artist agreed voluntarily — an email exchange, written message, or signed participation form.

What gets checked

• Curatorial concept is 300–500 words with a clear central argument — not a list of what will be shown
• At least four participating artists confirmed, each contributing identified work
• Confirmation of voluntary agreement from each artist — not just a list of names you plan to invite

Common mistakes

• Writing a curatorial concept that describes the logistics (what type of art, what size space) rather than an argument (what the exhibition says or asks of its audience) — a good curatorial concept has a point of view
• Recruiting artists who are personal friends and assuming they will participate, rather than explicitly confirming what work they will contribute and on what terms — artists drop out of community exhibitions frequently; confirm specifics early
• Describing an institution or venue as the organiser when you are the individual organiser — the GOVERNANCE proof standard requires that your leadership is without institutional authority

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The curatorial concept must make an argument — ask the submitter to state in one sentence what the exhibition says or argues; if they cannot, the concept needs revision
• Confirm artist participation is genuine — look for specific work titles or descriptions from each artist, not just names; artists who have agreed but not specified what they are contributing are likely to drop out
• Check that the submitter is described as the individual organiser, not an institution — GOVERNANCE proof standard requires leadership without institutional authority

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Proof required

Submit: (1) confirmation of the venue booking showing the venue name, exhibition dates, and your name as organiser; (2) draft labels for at least half the participating artworks (artist name, work title, medium, year); (3) a floor plan or installation plan showing the layout of works in the space.

What gets checked

• Venue confirmation with dates and your name as organiser — an email from the venue owner or manager confirming the booking
• Draft labels covering at least half the works — labels must include artist name, work title, medium, and year
• Floor plan or installation layout showing where each work will be placed

Common mistakes

• Booking a venue before confirming all artists will actually deliver their work — venue bookings are difficult to cancel; confirm artist participation before locking in dates
• Producing labels without consulting artists about how they want their work described — incorrect credits damage professional relationships
• Not producing a floor plan and arriving on installation day without a clear installation sequence — installation days for community exhibitions are chaotic without a plan

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check that the venue confirmation names the submitter as the organiser — venues often agree to host events but may not lend their institutional name
• Labels must cover at least half the participating works — a partial set suggests the exhibition is not yet fully planned
• Floor plan should show named works in named positions — a blank space outline does not qualify

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.

Proof required

Submit: (1) at least five photographs of the installed exhibition showing multiple works in the space; (2) a photograph or screenshot of the event listing showing the venue, dates, and your name as organiser; (3) your post-exhibition curatorial reflection (300 words) covering one thing that succeeded as planned and one thing you would approach differently next time.

What gets checked

• At least five installation photographs showing a minimum of three different works clearly visible and properly installed
• Public event listing showing the exhibition was accessible to the public — not a private event
• 300-word post-exhibition reflection with genuine specificity about one success and one change — not a generic summary

Common mistakes

• Not publicising the exhibition before the opening and having very low attendance — the proof standard requires a public event listing published before the event
• Writing a reflection that describes what happened rather than evaluating decisions — a curatorial reflection asks 'was this the right choice?' not 'here is what I did'
• Taking photographs only of individual works out of context — photographs must demonstrate the curation: the relationship between works in the space

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• The public event listing must predate the exhibition opening — a listing created after the fact does not prove the exhibition was publicly announced
• Installation photographs must show works in the venue context — at least three works should be visible across the five photographs
• The post-exhibition reflection must be specific to this exhibition — ask the submitter what specific curation decision they would change; a reflection without a specific named change is not evaluative

You'll sign in first, then come straight back here.