“I have wanted for so long to own and maintain even a few huge, interlocking thoughts that, having exhausted more legitimate methods, I have recently resorted to theoretical speculation.”
— Nicholson Baker, The Size of Thoughts , 1983 Criticism & Curatorial Practice
Program Guide
Criticism & Curatorial Practice offers a cross-disciplinary program intended for students interested in pursuing a career that includes the fields of curating, writing, exhibition production and art practice. Linking the Faculy of Art and Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Criticism & Curatorial Practice provides an environment that extends into a wide range of disciplines, from art history to current practices and theories of contemporary art and design.
The curriculum draws on the richly varied resources available across OCAD University, and through required courses helps students develop methodologies to define their own critical approach. To assist in this, the core faculty includes curators, critics, academics and artists respected in their fields for their critical and supervisory skills.
Students have an ongoing opportunity to apply their skills through field-study arrangements with Toronto galleries, museums, alternative spaces and publications.
As artist-curators, graduates are uniquely positioned to develop their own roles in the art and design world, both in Canada and internationally. A contemporary arts environment in which critically informed collaborations occur between artists, curators, writers and designers has become a hallmark of engaged practice. It is an environment that offers students of the program an exciting and fulfilling future at the centre of today’s visual culture.
Thesis and Directed Studies Option
At the 400 level, students must choose between the Thesis and the Directed Studies option. Both options lead to a BFA with a Criticism & Curatorial Practice program major.
THESIS OPTION
The Thesis Research and Presentation option offers Criticism & Curatorial Practice majors the opportunity to undertake an in-depth curatorial, web-based or criticism project. It is expected that students undertaking a curatorial project will produce a catalogue (either print or web-based) in conjunction with their exhibition. Students who elect to focus on criticism are expected to produce a major piece of writing on an aspect of contemporary art and/or theory. The expected length of the written document for students focusing on criticism is in the range of 30 to 50 pages. Students considering the Thesis option are strongly advised to begin formulating their project in the summer preceding their Thesis year.
DIRECTED STUDIES OPTION
Criticism & Curatorial Practice majors can elect to take Directed Studies in their fourth year instead of Thesis Research and Presentation. Directed Studies provides a concentrated area of study of modern and contemporary art and is recommended for students whose primary focus is critical writing and/or who wish to pursue graduate studies in Art History, Cultural Studies or a related field. Students take 2.0 credits in 300 or 400 level Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences History and Theory of Visual Culture (VISA, VISC, VISM) courses that address modern and contemporary visual culture. Eligible courses for Directed Studies, which are also recommended electives for all Criticism & Curatorial Practice majors, are listed at the end of the Program Guide.
All students who elect the Directed Studies option must meet with the Chair of Criticism & Curatorial Practice to discuss and approve the courses they have chosen to ensure they fall within the Directed Studies guidelines.
NOTE: Directed Studies students may substitute 0.5 credit of 300/400 level Faculty of Art studio/seminar course for one of the required History and Theory of Visual Culture courses.
MINORS
It is strongly recommended that students consider pairing their Criticism & Curatorial Practice major with a minor. Students should keep in mind that only elective courses can be counted towards a minor. As the required courses for a Criticism & Curatorial Practice major include a large number of History and Theory of Visual Culture courses, Criticism & Curatorial Practice majors may not pursue an Art History minor.
The major is only available to BFA students. All students should refer to the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences for an outline of the liberal studies degree requirements.
English (ENGL) and Humanities (HUMN) requirements are included in the Criticism & Curatorial Practice major program. Students may take more than the minimum requirements.
| COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | CREDIT |
| 200 Level Requirements | ||
| CRCP 2B01 | Contemporary Issues: Art Today | 0.5 |
| CRCP 2B02 | Museums, Galleries and Alternative Spaces | 0.5 |
| Choose two of the four following courses: | 1.0 | |
| VISD 2B01 | History of Modern Design | |
| VISA 2B07 | History of Modern Art | |
| VISM 2B09 | History of New Media Art | |
| VISA 2B32 | Canadian Art: The Modern Era | |
| 200 Level | Electives: Faculty of Art, Faculty of Design, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences or Interdisciplinary (INTR and DIGF) courses | 3.0 |
| Total Credits | 5.0 | |
| Recommended: | ||
| HUMN 2B01 | Aesthetics (not offered 2011/2012) | |
| OR | ||
| HUMN 2B16 | Twentieth Century Ideas | |
| ENGL 2B01 | Introduction to Creative Writing | |
| ENGL 2B03 | Introduction to Literary Criticism (not offered 2011/2012) | |
| ENGL 2B05 | Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction | |
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| 300 Level Requirements | ||
| CRCP 3B05 | A Question of Beauty | 0.5 |
| CRCP 3B06 | Exhibitions: Processes, Procedures, Pragmatics | 0.5 |
| VISA 3B37 | The History and Theory of Art Criticism | 0.5 |
| Choose at least two of the following five courses: | 1.0+ | |
| CRCP 3B03 | Talking Community | |
| VISA 3B03 | Contemporary Canadian Art | |
| VISA 3B09 | Art After Modern Art: Conceptual Practices (not offered 2011/2012) | |
| VISA 3B42 | Critical Issues and Ideas in Contemporary First Nations Art | |
| VISA 3B43 | Into the 21st Century: Photographic Practices, Theory and Criticism | |
| 300 or 400 Level | English (ENGL) * | 0.5 |
| 200 or 300 Level | Electives: Faculty of Art, Faculty of Design, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences or Interdisciplinary (INTR and DIGF) courses | 2.0 |
| Total Credits | 5.0 | |
| Recommended: | ||
| CRCP 3B07 | Publications 1 | |
| CRCP 3B08 | Publications 2 (not offered 2011/2012) | |
| HUMN 3B01 | Reading Popular Culture | |
| HUMN 3B13 | STUFF: Material Culture and the Meaning of Things | |
| HUMN 4B18 | Postmodernism: Critical Perspectives** (mandatory for fourth year) | |
| INTM 3B17 | Publications: Digital | |
| INTR 3B05 | Art & Design Education Lab | |
| 400 Level Required Toward a Thesis Major | ||
| CRCP 4C01 | CRCP Thesis: Research | 1.0 |
| CRCP 4C02 | CRCP Thesis: Presentation | 1.0 |
| CRCP 4B02 | Art Writing: A Workshop in Practice and Ideas | 0.5 |
| HUMN 4B18 | Postmodernism: Critical Perspectives ** | 0.5 |
| 200, 300 or 400 Level | Electives: Faculty of Art, Faculty of Design, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences or Interdisciplinary (INTR and DIGF) courses*** | 2.0 |
| Total Credits | 5.0 | |
| 400 Level Required Toward a Directed Studies Major | ||
| 300 or 400 Level | History and Theory of Visual Culture (VISA/VISC/VISM) and Humanities (HUMN) courses (may include 0.5 credit Faculty of Art 300 or 400 studio/seminar) *** |
2.0 |
| CRCP 4B02 | Art Writing: A Workshop in Practice and Ideas | 0.5 |
| HUMN 4B18 | Postmodernism: Critical Perspectives ** | 0.5 |
| 200, 300 or 400 Level | Electives: Faculty of Art, Faculty of Design, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences or Interdisciplinary (INTR and DIGF) courses *** | 2.0 |
| Total Credits | 5.0 | |
Eligibility to Graduate
Please note that students are eligible to graduate if they:
• Have fulfilled all program requirements.
• Are in good academic standing. (Students who attempt 2.0 credits or more in an academic year and earn an average of 60% or higher in those credits are in satisfactory academic standing.)
• Have an overall average of 60% or higher.
• Have an average of at least 65% in designated courses of their major/program. (Faculty of Design only.)
• Have no outstanding accounts at the University.
* Criticism & Curatorial Practice majors must complete 0.5 credit English (ENGL) in addition to the first-year writing course (LBST 1B11, LBST 1B12 or LBST 1B13)
** It is recommended that students complete HUMN 4B18 in their third year or in the summer preceding their thesis year.
*** Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences History and Theory of Visual Culture (VISA/VISC/VISM) and Humanities (HUMN) courses recommended for Directed Studies and recommended Criticism & Curatorial Practice electives:
| HUMN3B01 | Reading Popular Culture |
| HUMN3B92 | Special Topics in Humanities: STUFF: Material Culture and the Meaning of Things |
| VISA 3B05 | Dada and Surrealism |
| VISA 3B06 | Art of the African Diaspora (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 3B28 | Latin American Art: Indigenous and Hybrid Cultures |
| VISA 3B30 | Contemporary East Asian Art |
| VISM 3B33 | Canadian Cinema (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISM 3B34 | Japanese Cinema (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISM 3B39 | Latin American Cinema (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 3B42 | Critical Issues & Ideas in Contemporary First Nations Art |
| VISA 3B43 | Into the 21st Century: Photographic Practices, Theory and Criticism |
| VISA 3B45 | South Asian Art and Culture: Multiple Modernisms |
| VISA 4B02 | Performance and Performativity |
| VISM 4B03 | Contemporary Documentary Media |
| VISM 4B04 | Re-presenting Women: Feminist Film and Video (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISM 4B05 | Future Cinema: Digital Narratives (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISM 4B06 | Global Mesh: Internet, Networks, Globalization and Digital Resistance |
| VISA 4B08 | Post-War European Art (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 4B10 | The Politics of Painting: Modern Art & Revolution (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 4B12 | Modern Korean Art and Society (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 4B13 | Modern Mexican Art (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 4B17 | Reading Images of Aboriginal People (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISA 4B21 | Arts and Cultures of Asia and Oceania (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISC 4B22 | Art and Design Activism (not offered 2011/2012) |
| VISM 4B24 | The Body and The Machine: Interrogating the Posthuman in Art and Design |
NOTE:
Students are encouraged to review additional Faculty of Liberal Arts & Sciences Special Topic liberal studies courses, which offer perspectives on faculty research and may change on a yearly basis.
Alternative Studies: Mobility/Exchange Program and Florence Program
Criticism & Curatorial Practice Majors who are interested in applying for OCAD U’s Mobility/Exchange Program and the Florence Program must meet with the Chair of Criticism & Curatorial Practice for academic advising. Students who are accepted into these programs must meet the following minimum requirements for graduation from the Criticism & Curatorial Practice program:
300 level: 1.5 of the required 2.5 credits from the Criticism & Curatorial Practice Program Guide
400 level: 2.0 of the required 3.0 credits from the Criticism & Curatorial Practice Program Guide
Students are subject to these minimum requirements only for the year level in which they are participating in the Florence or Mobility/Exchange program, or the year they are admitted with advanced standing.
Last Modified:7/27/2012 4:59:52 PM