MA Curatorial Practice

MA Curatorial Practice call for applications. Application deadline: Priority review of applications and scholarship considerations began January 15, 2023. Applications or materials received after this deadline will be reviewed on a rolling admissions basis.

Training and studies
The School of Visual Arts master’s degree in Curatorial Practice is dedicated to your thorough hands-on training in every aspect of professional curatorial work. Based in New York City, just minutes away from hundreds of galleries in Chelsea and some of the world’s greatest museums, with thousands of artists’ studios nearby, our program’s remarkable faculty includes renowned curators in New York and from around the world. In-depth case studies with faculty teaching the specific area of curating they practice; writing workshops that focus on critical analysis of exhibitions and curatorial projects, as well as catalog essays; art and exhibition histories that consider transnational and local narratives, with attention to canonical inquiries and activist practices; presentations and discussions with world-renowned curators, museum directors, and artists in our Curatorial and Artist Roundtables each week; professional practices workshops in everything from exhibition design, CAD programming, lighting design, grant-writing, and presentation-making; on-site visits to museums and cultural centers in New York; philosophy and theory courses that speak to the interrelations of objects and audiences, of the human and nonhuman, of extractive practices of capitalism, and more…all of these studies work toward the practical and conceptual aspects of professional curatorial work brought into focus in the program. Watch a four-minute video about the program here.

Fieldwork and internships
A crucially rewarding aspect of our program is the chance for you to take part in a trip to a major international exhibition (such as the Venice Biennale, the Berlin Biennial, Manifesta, documenta) that takes place between your first and second years of the program. This funded fieldwork is followed by a two-month or longer internship at a major cultural institution—and students have been hosted all over the world, from Rome to Bogotá, London to Sharjah, Beijing to Bergen and Berlin, and many other places. These internships provide further hands-on training, as well as the opportunity to learn about other cultural scenes and make invaluable professional connections.

Funded exhibitions
You will also have the chance to make three funded exhibitions during your two years in the program. In your first year, you will make an exhibition in our own laboratory space, which is part of our beautiful facilities designed by the celebrated architect Charles Renfro (who also teaches in the program) and the practice of Leong Leong. At the end of the first year, you will make a second exhibition with your cohort at a large industrial space in Brooklyn, and this will lead to producing a final exhibition or other curatorial project as the culmination of your studies with us. Of course, New York City’s immensely rich cultural scene is the backdrop for your curatorial studies, and the professional training our students receive has led directly to being hired internationally. 

Special events
Our special events add still further to your knowledge and possibilities for creating a global network of contacts. Upcoming events include our ongoing series of talks under the umbrella title of “The Algorithmic State,” focusing on the future of art, culture, and society in the age of AI and quantum computation. Weekly Curatorial Roundtable talks coming up include curators and institution directors in Eindhoven, Los Angeles, Munich, Beijing, Berlin, Jerusalem, Madrid, Bergen, San Juan, Dakarta, Beirut, and New York.

Applications
We are now in the midst of receiving and reviewing priority applications for admission and scholarships. Visit the MA Curatorial Practice website here to learn more in-depth details about the program. You can link directly to the application here.