The San Jose Museum of Art encourages the submission of temporary exhibition proposals, by groups or individuals. The following guidelines and procedures are intended to help us expedite the review of these submissions by insuring that each proposal is as complete as possible. If you require additional information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Curatorial Department at (408) 271-6840.

Step 1: Initial Proposal

A preliminary exhibition proposal must be submitted to the chief curator before an exhibit idea can be considered. Proposals should be sent to the Curatorial Department, San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St., San Jose, CA, 95113, (408)271-6840. The initial proposal is intended to communicate your exhibit idea to the Exhibitions Committee. The proposal should be clear and concise and should include the exhibit's thesis, educational intentions, intended audiences, and artwork you plan to include (with visual examples). Clarity in the articulation of your intentions for the exhibition will, in some ways, reflect its educational value for the public. If the Committee is unable to clearly understand your proposal, the public probably will not either. Therefore, these proposal forms must be well-planned and informative.

Do not be concerned about methods of presentation or installation at this point; concentrate on the content and exhibition checklist only.

Step 2: Detailed Proposal

If the Committee acts favorably on your proposal, you will be invited to submit a second, more detailed proposal. This proposal must contain a background statement, a clear exhibition theme, a list of artworks (80% of which should be available), and any special needs. The detailed proposal is, in effect, an intellectual road-map of the proposed exhibition. Your detailed proposal should be submitted to the chief curator and will again be considered by the Exhibitions Committee.

Step 3: Objects, Graphics, Visuals Selection - Draft Script and Concept Design

If it is decided to proceed, then the Museum's exhibition designer is assigned to work with the exhibition curator: a draft script is prepared by the curator, and an initial concept design will be prepared by the designer. The draft script includes all main and secondary label copy, and a working checklist of the artworks included in the exhibition. The checklist should now be 95% - 100% valid. These documents will then be presented by the designer and curator to the chief curator and executive director.

Step 4: Final Script, Final Design - Fabrication and Installation

After approval of the draft script and concept design, the curator and designer collaborate to produce the final script (ready for typesetting) and the final detail design (installation and graphic details). A final script is a consensus document that has been reviewed and agreed upon by the curator and designer, has been edited and proofread, delivered to, and then approved by the chief curator. After approval, the Museum proceeds to production and installation.

Step 5: Evaluation

Post-installation review and evaluation will include an oral and/or written report on the perceived effectiveness of the exhibit, as well as suggestions for refinement of the curatorial, design, production, and installation processes for future projects.

Exhibit Title:

Be creative in your main title. Remember that the title must communicate the central theme of the exhibition, attract viewer attention from a distance, and draw them to the exhibit. For example, "Wish You Were Here" is a good title for a postcard show. A title may be in two parts with the firstword(s) carrying the theme of the exhibit and the second phrase being the hook to pique the visitor's curiosity. A creative title will also make good copy for public relations use and will help to attract media coverage.

Exhibit Concept:

This is the heart of the proposal where you explain the importance of the story you wish to tell. This is where you should clarify the questions you will answer through your exhibition. Include your point of view and intentions for the show. A strong point of view can elevate a simple display to an interpretive, engaging exhibition.

Educational Objectives and Intended Audience(s):

Exhibitions are a stationary form of museum interpretation. As such, they are designed transform a visitor's attitudes, knowledge, perceptions or feelings. A clear articulation of how you hope to engage the viewer will guide your label writing and will aid the designer in visually communicating your intentions.

Futhermore, the Museum attracts many different kinds of viewers-diverse audiences. What is the intended audience(s) for your exhibit? Are the objectives in the exhibit targeted for a specific audience (e.g. architectural historians, theater buffs, or contemporary arts devotees?) A general audience? Or multiple audiences? Identify your intended audience(s) and the particular objectives for each audience.

Initial List of Artworks and Visuals:

This inventory should be as complete as possible. Remember, if the proposal is accepted you will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal (which will indicate both the location and condition of the artworks available), so you do not need to be that precise at this point. However, do not list works which are not readily available: putting the "Mona Lisa" on your checklist is obviously unrealistic.

Include visuals (slides, color photocopies, etc - whatever gives the Committee the best sense of the quality of the work). However, do not include original works.

Curators:

The curator who will be responsible for the content of the exhibit must be identified. If you plan to use a team approach, then one person must be identified. That person will ultimately be responsible for the curatorial aspects of the project. The curator will forward the Initial (and Detailed) Proposal to the Chief Curator. If the Detailed Proposal is accepted, a designer will then be assigned to work with the curator. From this collaboration, the draft script and concept design are developed. When the draft script and concept design are accepted, dates and gallery locations are assigned to the exhibition.

The exhibit curator (working with editors, educators, registrars, consultants, designer, associates, etc.) then must deliver the final script as scheduled.

In sum, the curator is responsible for the intellectual integrity of the exhibit. The end product expected from the curator is the following: a written script which contains all the main labels and sub-labels for the exhibit; a complete checklist that includes artists, title, date, medium, size, lender, and lender address (and location of the work) for all works included in the presentation.

Thank you for your interest in the San Jose Museum of Art.