Exhibition Curation and Teaching

When deciding what to display in the galleries of the Harnett Museum of Art and the Lora Robins Gallery, we prioritize the teaching and research topics of UR faculty across all fields and disciplines (while also promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in what we display).

Museums+

This initiative dedicates the Pickels Gallery in the Modlin Center and a wall of display cases in the Lora Robins Gallery (re-opening in fall 2025) for semester-long, course-related displays of collection objects. Assistant Curator Martha Wright and Curator of Collection Matthew Houle support UR faculty to co-curate selections to install in these spaces for teaching or other forms of campus engagement. Offered every semester, Museums+ encompasses all the collections we oversee: art, natural sciences, and cultural objects.

Advanced notice

Contact the Assistant Curator for Academic Engagement by midterm the semester before the course is scheduled to take place. Space is limited. Requests will be honored on a first-come-first-served basis.

Contact

Martha Wright
Assistant Curator for Academic Engagement
mwright3@richmond.edu

Faculty co-curated special exhibitions

UR faculty are welcome to apply to co-curate a special exhibition for teaching purposes in the main galleries at the Harnett Museum of Art. Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis by the Executive Director of University Museums, the Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions, and the museum’s advisory committee.

Approval of a project depends in part on the availability of gallery space on the exhibition calendar. We typically book our exhibition calendar 2-3 years in advance, but last-minute openings have been known to occur. Proposals should include a 250-word exhibition précis (explaining the thesis of the exhibition and interpreting sample artworks or cultural objects) and a sample exhibition checklist.

If accepted, faculty co-curators will be responsible for authoring all exhibition wall texts on deadlines and within word limits set by the museum. Museum staff members provide framing, layout, installation, etc.

Contact

Orianna Cacchione
Deputy Director and Curator of Exhibitions

Issa Lampe
Executive Director
issa.lampe@richmond.edu