Class Statement
Follies, Predicaments, and Oother Conundrums: The Works of Laure Drogoul Exhibition Development Seminar
Follies, Predicaments, and Oother Conundrums: The Works of Laure Drogoul is an exhibittion organized by the Exhibition Development Seminar at the Maryland Institute College of Art. The Seminar isSeminar is a course that was founded in 1997 by George Ciscle, the college's curator-in-residence, in 1997 as a way to give students a chance to explore every aspect of creating a successful working exhibition. This is the tenth exhibition that has been developed as a result of the program over the past eleven years.
For this exhibit, under the guidance of professor Glenn Shrum, the class undertook the task of showcasing artist Laure Drogoul in her largest solo exhibition to date. Drogoul is a local Baltimore artist and MICA alumna who is , widely known for her interactive environments and large-scale sculptural works. In addition, she performs and organizes the 14Karat Cabaret, which has had its place on has been a part of the Baltimore art scene for the past nineteen years. Gerald Ross, the Director of Exhibitions at MICA, saw an opportunity to incorporate Drogoul's combination of performance and sculpture into one exhibit. The class became responsible for mounting an interesting and innovative exhibition that merges all of Drogoul's work in a comprehensive manner.
The Exhibition Development Seminar, comprised of eighteen students, began working in September of 2008 to stage this exhibition. The class was split into six teams, including: Curatorial, Education, Exhibition Design, Graphic Design, Web Developmentsign, and Project Coordinatorss. Each team worked individually and also in collaboration to ensure the success of the overall exhibition. Teams weremade upcomprised of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing studies students who worked closely with one another during the months leading up to the installation of the exhibition, making important decisions regarding all aspects of Follies, Predicaments and OOther Conundrums. Working with their professional mentors, each team produced a series of proposals regarding their ideas for the exhibition, their purpose as a component of the exhibit, and their plans to put these ideas into motion.. With Laure Drogoul and Gerald Ross, the title and the concept statement for the exhibit was crafted. From there, individual teams began to evolve.
Each team developed the exhibition with the unique aspects of Drogoul's work in mind. Each team was encouraged to ensure that every aspect of their work related back in to Drogoul and her artworkThe Curatorial team worked with Gerald Ross, selecting the artwork that would be included in the eExhibit and writing the relative didactic text. The Education team determined audience expectations for this exhibit and planned a variety of public programs to meet the needs of a diverse audience. The placement of work, lighting, and design of appropriate environments for Drogoul’s work was the responsibility of the Exhibition Design team. The Graphic Design team produced the visual identity for the exhibition, and designed the print materials associated with it. The Web Developmentsign team coordinated the layout and the execution of the website. e. Lastly, Tthe Project Coordinators established the class agenda, coordinated deadlines, and facilitated class discussions. Drogoul's work.
From the beginning of the development process, The class took advantage of the unique opportunity that Drogoul's work brings with it: to invite a variety of people into the space to interact with one another. Drogoul's work is playfully appealing to kids and adults alike. Many of her works are kid-friendly in their exuberant whimsy, yet often allude to deeper, abstract meanings, making them equally appealing to adults. Laure’s the exhibition had been envisioned as a one-of-a-kind. Drogoul’s 14Karat cabaret offered a chance for the class to bring performers to both the Black Box Theatre and the gallery space, giving the exhibition a distinct life and character. Kat Buckley, a member of the class and an art history major at MICA with a minor in language, literature, and culture and a concentration in cultural studies, said, “We took advantage of a specific opportunity that Drogoul's work brings with it: to invite a variety of people into the gallery to interact her work first-hand. We wanted to encourage visitors to be in direct contact with the work without any apprehension or anxiety.” Drogoul encouraged the class to, “Use the space while we have it,” and use performances and public programming to enrich the atmosphere and flavor of the exhibition. . As a class and as representatives of an institution, The Exhibition Development Seminar made the welcoming of students, alumni, faculty, and other members of our communityy to experience Follies, Predicaments, and Other Conundrum an utmost priority.s.
Because of the whimsical nature of Drogoul’s work, class members Drogoul's work presented a remarkable opportunity fowere able to have fun with with their creative rolesas producers regarding theof this exhibition, yet ultimately maintaining a high degree of . professionalism. Her Laure Drogoul’s openness and hospitality allowed allowed studentsteams to spend time directly connecting with the artist and learning about both about Laureher life and her work. The development of Follies, Predicaments, and Other Conundrums serves as indispensable experience for the students of the Exhibition Development Seminar and; each student worked tirelessly in the effort of bringing this project to completionfruition. Kyle Freeman, a sophomore painting major with a minor art history and a concentration in curatorial studies, said, “As the result of the course, weThey have have c created an exhibition that is playful,,dark, welcoming, and slightly unnervingslightly bizarre, but wonderfully enticing. Through the process, I the classhope that this exhibit makes it possible for Laure’s work to organized an attraction that envelops visitors with its quaint oddities and unconventional charm.”