Shelley Ouellet
Curator's Journal
Light a Match
at Latitude 53
Edmonton, AB
May 1996
An address book is often a telling reflection it's owner's life and habits. It can indicate levels of organization, technological savvy, lifestyle choices and personal history. It is a database utilizing the international postal and telephone systems and its use demonstrates an acceptance of 'old', and perhaps new, communication technology. It is a record of personal and professional relationships.
Curatorial practice is dependent upon the development of relationships. The curator is responsible for presenting exhibitions where relationships can explored. She is also responsible for developing relationships with the artists, to raise funds for exhibitions, to disseminate information about the art and the artists as well as to develop an audience to view the exhibition. Accomplishing this is no small task and one that requires more than administrative panache. It requires an understanding of the value of art and a desire to share that knowledge with a variety of people in a variety of ways. It requires the support and participation of the community and a lifestyle that accommodates a career of participation within that community. The curator's address book is a record of relationships developed over the span a career and a life. This journal of the curator's network is the basis of the portraits on this site.
Each of the women portrayed on this site provided a photograph and the telephone numbers listed in the 'o' section of their address book. From this data, a moving and digital portrait is created and broadcast on the internet.
Catherine Crowston, Curator, Art Gallery of Alberta (Edmonton Art Gallery)