(Palm Springs, California) The Palm Springs Fine Art Fair announces the Museum Curators Weekend Retreat (February 16-17, 2013), drawing top curators from across the Southwest to Palm Springs for a two-day series of public panel discussions at the Palm Springs Convention Center. (above: Utopia, curated by Mark Murphy featuring Yuko Shimizu and Jordin Isip)
Presented in conjunction with the Palm Springs Fine Art Fair, the retreat is an opportunity for art lovers and collectors to get up close and personal with some of the top names in contemporary art. Panel discussions are open to all attendees of the fair; a private reception will also be held by invite only. Veteran L.A. based writer, critic and museum curator Peter Frank will serve as Moderator for each panel discussion. (above/below, Heaven and Hell featuring 58 fine artists and 72 live performers curated by Mark Murphy).
“Museums have lately been bellwethers for change in both art and society,” Frank observes, “and we want to spotlight some of the reasons why. Art museums affect their communities and are affected by them, so we have brought together some of the region’s most prominent and most active curators to discuss everything from outreach to income. Now that people realize their beloved museums, where they take refuge, are also sites of political and economic struggle, they should know the nature of this struggle. We want to help people get behind the headlines, and no one can do that better than the folks who actually operate museums.”
Rick Friedman, President of the Hamptons Expo Group which owns the fair, elaborates on the program, “We included curators within a wide geographical area of the southwest region in efforts to get a larger and more diverse sample size. Perspectives and opinions from these museum curators reflect more of a national trend, rather than just one city, thereby eliminating any outlier effect.” (above, Heaven and Hell, below GREEN curated by Mark Murphy featuring William Buzzeli and Marc Burckhardt).
Confirmed panel discussions are as follows:
Saturday, February 16, 2013:12-1 pm — Curators in the Community
Curators discuss their role in educating, collaborating and leading, as well as developing audience and donors for their museums. This idea exchange focuses on challenges, solutions, successes and disappointments. Included will be a discussion about the Desert Initiative. Moderator: Peter Frank. Panelists: Idurre Alonso (Museum of Latin American Art), Andi Campognone (Lancaster Museum of Art + History), Greg Esser (Desert Initiative, ASU Art Gallery). Jill Dawsey (Associate Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego).
Saturday, February 16, 2013: 1-2 pm — How to Donate Art to a Museum
Curators, tax experts and collectors discuss how to ensure the donation is appropriate, mutually advantageous, and rewarding. Moderator: Peter Frank. Panelists: Amy Galpin (San Diego Museum of Art), Tyler Stallings (Culver Center for the Arts/Sweeney Art Gallery), Katherine Hough (Palm Springs Art Museum).
Sunday, February 17, 2013: 12-1 pm — Museums and Money
Individual and corporate giving is down — and so are admissions. This discussion focuses on how the financial picture affects curators, exhibitions and the impact they have in the community, as well as efforts to become more relevant and expand audiences. Moderator: Peter Frank. Panelists: Irene Tsatsos (The Armory Center for the Arts), Katherine Hough (Palm Springs Art Museum), Tyler Stallings (Culver Center for the Arts/Sweeney Art Gallery).