The Art of Curation

Guarding (and curating) the art 💂🏻‍♀️ Dereck Mangus and Jess Bither, Baltimore Museum of Art

Episode Summary

In 2022, the Baltimore Museum of Art turned over the curation of one of their exhibits to 17 of their security guards. In this interview, two of the participants reveal what that was like — and give new meaning to the term “art appreciation.”

Episode Notes

“It's not like you press a button and you get to see art. You have to go there to know there…You have to be in front of it, obviously, and then you have to have a relationship with it. You have to see it again and again. And sometimes it takes years.” — Dereck Mangus, Baltimore Museum of Art

In 2022, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) turned over the curation of one of its exhibits to 17 security guards on staff. Called “Guarding the Art,” the show was a wide-ranging display of individuals’ tastes and the art that spoke to them. It was a radical idea that generated media attention and inspired other shows like it. 

And why not? Museum guards spend hours and hours with the artifacts they watch over, so of course they’re going to have opinions about such things. It was thrilling to get to know two of those guards, Dereck Mangus and Jess Bither, and learn about their deep appreciation for art and how they approached curating the BMA show. 

Highlights, inspiration and key learnings from the conversation:

• The life of a museum security guard
• Which pieces they picked for “Guarding the Art” and why
• How to curate a group show with other 15 other people
• How participating in “Guarding the Art” changed them
• What they learned about the art of curation from this experience

👋 Say "hi" to Dereck and Jess. 
🔎 Browse the companion Storyboard to get the episode, plus Dereck’s and Jess’s own favorite culture picks.
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