Hutchins Galleries Launch Guest Curator Program

Embracing a dynamic shift in curation, Lawrenceville’s Hutchins Galleries is launching guest curator program, an exciting new way for the School community to learn about and participate in the arts. This initiative promises to infuse fresh perspectives into the Galleries, fostering more vibrant and inclusive offerings.

Hutchins Galleries Curator and Director Melina Guarino said the museum world is moving toward “shared authority and shared ownership,” making spaces more community-oriented and “less stoic institutions that people visit and view. There are so many more opportunities in museums when audiences get to have their part,” she said.

Guarino invites all current students, faculty, and staff to contact her with ideas for a show they would like to creative using some of the more than 700 works held in the Galleries’ permanent collection. No special expertise is necessary.

“A guest curator can put together a show that might be based on their own personal interest, on a class they are teaching, or as a teaching tool for object-based learning, Guarino explained. The time commitment is flexible – guest curators can simply review the collection and select pieces or become more involved by creating explanatory text or even helping Guarino hang the installation.

Bunn Library’s Outreach Librarian Laura Cunningham, the first guest curator, has jumped into the job with both feet. “She’s even helping me move furniture,” Guarino joked. Cunningham’s show, ‘The Power of Story” will be on display beginning tomorrow and running through mid-April.

The Hutchins Galleries are a home for the Lawrenceville School's permanent collection of art and a host for rotating exhibits of working, regional artists. They are located on the Lawrenceville School campus within The Hutchins Center, adjacent to the Gruss Center for Art and Design. The main entrance for the Hutchins Galleries is at the rear of the building and can be accessed during viewing hours.

The Hutchins Galleries are open on weekdays from 9 a.m.-noon and from 1- 4:30 p.m. and on Saturdays, from 9 a.m.-noon. The Galleries will be closed November 17-26 and reopen November 27-December 16. The Galleries are also open by appointment – please email at hutchinsgalleries@lawrenceville.org to schedule.

“The Power of Story” will feature approximately 50 works that range from author photos, to illuminated manuscript pages to masks and, of course, books.

“I wanted to do something related to the Library and storytelling, either written or spoken word, but I had no idea what the School’s permanent collection contained,” Cunningham said. “I was absolutely gob smacked when I saw all of the incredible things available.”

The vast and varied collection gave Cunningham “a million ideas” and created “devastating decisions” when selecting pieces for the exhibit. “I didn’t want to put anything away,” Cunningham said.

Working with Guarino, Cunningham said, allowed her to see the “very unique overlap” between the School’s library and art galleries. “I hope the takeaway for viewers is that, regardless of the medium, the library and the gallery are here to preserve and share with the community beautiful, important, thought-provoking things that they might not otherwise get to experience.”

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.