Assignment: Art Captions

For this part of your Curated Art Exhibit Project, you will be required to write eight captions (previously referred to as "Art Statements") to accompany each of the chosen exhibit pieces.

Purpose:

The purpose of the caption is to offer the viewer the following vital information regarding the piece during their visit to your exhibit:

1. What is the title of the piece?
2. Who is the artist? When were they born? When did they die? Where are they from?
3. What is the medium of the piece? That is, is it a photograph? A sound recording? A painting? A mixed media collage? Be as specific here as you can be. For instance, "Mixed-media collage using filament, bed springs and bird seed." "Turtle Pecan Brownie Bars with Cream Cheese Filling." "Excerpt of Email Interview with Dr.Lionel Peachy, Associate Professor of Speech Communications, Penn State University." (*Note: many of your pieces will be photographs of the artwork itself. In that case, there is no need to say "Photograph of ceramic sculpture." Just say "Ceramic Sculpture.")
4. What year was the piece created?

Beyond the above "vitals" of the piece, your caption should go on to provide some relevant context for the piece. What do you know about the piece's genesis? Why did the artist make it? How was it received by the critics and the general public? Why was/is it important to the larger world? 

Finally, why did you, the curator, decide to include this piece? Here is where you can use the pronoun "I" and reflect on your choice in a more personal way.

Scope:

The scope of the caption should be large enough to provide an immediate grounding for the viewer and a rationale for the inclusion of this piece in your exhibit, but it should not be exhaustive. That is to say, it should touch upon information that your critical introduction will then make more elaborate. 

Length:

Each caption should be between 300 & 500 words. Word count includes vitals.

Format:

Each caption must adhere to this format:

"Title"

Artist Name, Country of Origin, Dates

Medium

Year of Creation

BLANK SPACE

Paragraph about context and critical/public reception.

BLANK SPACE

Paragraph about your choice to include the piece in the exhibit. 

Other considerations:

Remember that writing for the internet/blogosphere can and should be more casual than writing you would find in an an academic journal. The tone and voice in your captions should be engaging, conversational and inviting, while at the same time, informational, lucid, well-organized and completely error-free.