The Student Committee's third annual career event, Framing the Future: A Forum on Careers in the Visual Arts, provided students the opportunity to network and converse with a variety of professionals from arts organizations around the Bay Area.
Located in the Berkeley Art Museum's galleries, the event drew over 50 students who were able to take part in roundtable discussions and meet face-to-face with professionals in a wide range of careers, including film and museum curating, gallery management, arts writing, marketing, and fundraising and development.
The event began with a presentation by keynote speaker Tom di Maria, Executive Director at the Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland who gave an inspiring talk on being apart of a non-profit arts organization which serves physically, mentally and developmentally disabled adult artists, and provides a stimulating environment for artistic instruction, gallery promotion and personal expression.
Following the keynote presentation, a series of roundtable discussions allowed students to join in small groups with professionals from a range of arts and film-related careers. At each table the speakers gave frank and thoughtful advice on how to get started on careers in different areas, and shared stories about their own paths and professional experiences.
Leading the roundtable discussions were: Randy Boyes, Director, HANG ART Gallery, San Francisco; Dan Krauss, Director and Cinematographer; J. Mullineaux, Director of Development, SFMOMA, San Francisco; Kerri Johnson, Co-owner and Curator of Blank Space Gallery, Oakland and Associate Director, Oakland Art Gallery; Berin Golonu, Associate Curator for Visual Arts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; Timothy Taylor, Curator of Exhibitions, San Francisco Airport Museums, San Francisco; Terri Cohn, arts writer, curator, and art historian; Susan Oxtoby, former Director of Programming at Cinematheque Ontario, now Senior Curator for Film at BAM/PFA; Mary Beth Smith Director of Marketing and Communications, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; Lucinda Barnes, BAM/PFA Deputy Director Collections and Programs; Barbara Henry, Director of Education, Oakland Museum of California, Oakland; Kevin E. Consey, Director, BAM/PFA; Karen Bennett, Assistant Curator for Education, BAM/PFA; and Steve Seid, BAM/PFA Video Curator. Three of the Bay Area's younger museum professionals – Miegan Riddle, Annual Fund Coordinator at BAM/PFA, Thao Bui Program Manager at Dominic Phillips Event Marketing, and Dara Solomon, Associate Curator at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco – also led discussions on making the transition from college to career.
Sincere thanks go to the professionals who so generously devoted their time and energy to this event; without their commitment it wouldn't have been possible. Finally, here are some examples of the positive feedback from the event:
"I liked the personal interaction with the speakers."
"Timothy Taylor was fabulous – right on the wavelength I am currently following. Barbara Henry hires art teachers –my quest!"
"Totally informative!"
"Cohn was most helpful in that she was interested in hearing our interests. She gave me some ideas for foundations to contact."
"It was a positive experience to hear and learn that it is possible to make a career in the arts and meeting people who have done it."
