How One Curator Works with Artists at a Regional Art Center with Collin Parson (#116)

Members of the general public enjoy their visits to art centers and
museums without much thought as to how the art got into those
spaces in the first place. Who decides on what to show and when to
show it? Who decides what works to put next to one another and
where to put a nail in the wall or a pedestal on the floor? Or even
what color to paint the walls? All of these decisions, and more,
fall under the purview of curators and exhibition directors in
those non-profit spaces. In this episode of The Art Biz I talk with
Collin Parson, the Director of Galleries and Curator at the Arvada
Center for Arts and Humanities in the Denver suburb of Arvada,
Colorado. Collin reveals how the exhibition process works at their
venue: his timeline, rotating gallery spaces, and the decision
makers at the organization. We also discuss how he selects artists
for shows, what makes an artist easy and fun to work with, and why
it’s important that artists keep him informed. Be sure to pay
attention to some of the big mistakes he sees artists making.

Highlights




Collin’s background of artists and his work as a curator.
(1:30)




Curating a massive space and Collin’s approach to rotating
exhibitions. (10:50)




Scheduling artists into a gallery’s calendar isn’t as simple
as it seems. (19:15)




Why Collin generally doesn’t accept exhibit proposals.
(22:52)




What makes an artist fun to collaborate with? (26:48)




What Collin wishes every artist would do—and not do. (33:03)




Studio visits and what curators expect from artists. (38:25)




Finding inspiration for the most memorable shows. (45:35)




Details about juried shows and artist rosters. (48:55)




Balancing curating exhibits, making art, and a personal life.
(55:03)




Mentioned




Collin Parson




Charles Parson




Arvada Center Galleries and Exhibitions




Meow Wolf in Denver




Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art




Steve Farland’s warrior chair-sculptures




Resources


 




artbizsuccess.com/curator-parson-podcast




How to Price Your Art free report




Art Biz Connection community




 


Guest Bio


Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Collin Parson currently
serves as the Director of Galleries and Curator for the Arvada
Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado and is a
former member at the historic Pirate: Contemporary Art
cooperative and past artist-in-residence at RedLine Denver. An
arts administrator, artist, curator, and designer he received a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Design and Technology with
emphasis in Lighting and Scene Design from the University of
Colorado at Boulder and his Master in Arts in Visual Culture and
Arts Administration from Regis University in Denver. His creative
work involves the control of light and color to create vivid
geometric light and space works. He has had the privilege of
jurying many arts festivals and exhibitions and has received
numerous awards and recognition for his curatorial projects. He
was awarded 100 Colorado Creatives by Westword magazine in 2013
and featured in many television and print productions. Parson is
the son of Colorado sculptor Charles Parson, whose experience
with the regions arts community helped Collin long before his
professional career began. Growing up in a family of artists,
Collin is proud to be continuing the educational and creative
traditions.


First posted: artbizsuccess.com/curator-parson-podcast