Behind the Scenes Curating the Museum
16 June 2027 at 10:00:00
Winston Churchill Hall, Ruislip
The Great Court at the British Museum
How long does it take to put together a major exhibition? Who decides what subjects will be explored and which objects will be included? How does that differ from permanent display curating? And just how do you get an object from the Vatican to the British Museum?
In today’s lecture our Speaker Anna Bianco will offer us a behind-the-scenes insight into the process and drama of putting together a ‘blockbuster’ exhibition and also explore the contrasts between exhibition and permanent display curating. Drawing on her experiences at the Wallace Collection, Courtauld Institute, British Museum and her own gallery, Anna will share the trials, tribulations and joys of getting from the idea to the opening night, uncovering a range of practicalities - from packing crates, to climate control and even insurance – that open the door onto the inner workings of a museum.
THIS LECTURE WILL BEGIN AT THE NORMAL TIME OF 11.00AM, FOLLOWING THE SOCIETY'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AT 10.30AM
Anna Bianco is a freelance curator, writer, lecturer, tour guide and art historian. She loves storytelling and her greatest passion is bringing artworks and objects to life through the stories of the people who made them. She attended her first Arts Society Study Day aged 7 as 'helper' of her grandfather, Theophilus Peters, who was an Accredited Lecturer, and has been hooked on The Arts Society ever since! She has been an Accredited Lecturer herself for 14 years.
Anna has a BA History of Art and an MA in Curating from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She has curated exhibitions and displays at the Wallace Collection, the British Museum, the Embankment Galleries and Southwark Art Collection. She was Director of the Tryon Street Gallery and has been a guest lecturer for Christies Education, Durham University, London College of Communication and the Open University.
Anna Bianco