Step One: Search your favorite artist or movement to find a selection of past e

Step One:
Search your favorite artist or movement to find a selection of past exhibitions to write on (only choose one). You can also browse the recent archival additions just below the search bar.
I choose this exhibiton https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/143
Step Two:
Once you have chosen your exhibition, familiarize yourself with the downloadable written materials (like press releases and catalog, which will contain the curator’s essay and is of utmost importance) as well as any media (mainly photographs and installation shots, some of which have hyperlinks that send you to more info on specific art works). Older exhibitions tend to have more free, downloadable materials, so they might be easier to work with. So again: in choosing your exhibition lean towards one that includes the catalog and lots of good installation photographs.
You will also want to find 2 or 3 additional scholarly sources that relate to your show (though it need not directly mention your show) Please keep in mind: these outside sources should not be museum websites, blogs, or online magazines. They need to be from reputable scholarly sources.
Here are some tips for finding such scholarly sources:
Use our library homepage to run a search related to your exhibition (for example, if your exhibition is on Matisse and landscapes, then you would likely start by searching “Matisse” + “landscapes,” or “Matisse” + “Nature.” Make sure to limit your search to PEER-REVIEW JOURNALS by checking that box on the left, which appears once you run a search. This will make sure that your sources are scholarly. Most of these sources will be available online through the various library databases. If you need any assistance in tracking down sources or using research tools, contact a CCNY librarian. They are here to help us in our writing and research.
Step Three:
Once you have all your sources compiled, you will write an annotated bibliography (if you’re not clear on what this is, see here). Make sure to use the Chicago Manual of Style for your bibliography formatting (if you are unclear on how to use citations and sources, please email a City College librarian, they are happy to help). I’ve allocated three separate due dates for submitting your annotated bibliography
Step Four:
Once you have compiled and read/viewed your materials, you will be ready to start writing. Here are some prompts to guide you on what your paper should cover. Please do not treat this as a sequential template! Use your own mind and devise the best plan suited to the exhibition you have chosen:
When was the exhibition? Who was the curator? Who was the artist or movement involved (but please do not get bogged down on outside biographical materials—stay focused on the exhibition);
What is the curatorial conception? If it is a monographic (single artist) show, how is the artist and his/her work interpreted? If it is a thematic show with multiple artists, how does the theme connect to the artists chosen? Basically, you want to give a conceptual overview of the exhibition;
What did the show look like? How was it designed? What were the standout art works? Here, you will be using the photo documentation on MoMA’s website to try and recreate the show in the reader’s mind;
How was the show received by the public and by critics? Can you track down some reviews in a newspaper or magazine?;
Lastly, give your overall assessment of the exhibition. Does it succeed? If so, how and why? If not, how and why? Here you get to offer your own argument and claim about the show–hopefully you will use what you have learned over the semester to make a discerning judgment. If the exhibition you choose is quite dated, it will likely have certain assumption that may look suspect to us today; these should be interesting to unpack and critique. Make sure to back up your argument with compelling evidence.