History by Design: NYC Edition: Exhibit Design Phase

Teachers should identify 2-3 students to write the artist statement on behalf of their Curator Crew. Teachers should familiarize themselves with the below information to make sure their students are adhering to the format and to be able to support the students should they have questions.

What is an artist statement?
A short introduction to artwork, a body of work, or a specific project.
Example: 

Our exhibit examines how women got the right to vote. We were inspired by our chosen Hidden Voices individual, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. We decided to research this topic after learning that even when women got the right to vote, it didn’t mean ALL women. Women make up 50% of our population and it’s time they rise up and claim their power!

Who is the audience for your History by Design artist statement?
When writing your artist statement, consider who your audience will be and what assumptions you can and cannot make about their prior knowledge. Your statement should be written in plain, clear language that can be accessible to anyone regardless of age, reading ability, comfortability with reading in English, etc. 

What should be included in your History by Design artist statement? 
Your first few sentences should simply state what your exhibit is about and how your Hidden Voices individual relates to your exhibit. Next, use the following 3-6 sentences to tell the visitor anything else you feel it is important for them to know (see prompts below). Your statement should be one paragraph long (5-8 sentences). No need to introduce yourself or your school, dive right into what your project is about. 

Topic sentence: 

• Open your paragraph by stating the basic idea of your exhibit and how it relates to your Hidden Voices individual. 

Middle sentences: 

The middle sentences can address any of the following prompts: 

• Why is this story important to tell?
• How does the work connect to your critical lens? How does it connect to history?
• How do you see yourselves in this story? What compelled you to tell this story?
• How did you decide what to put into the exhibit and what to leave out?
• How did you meet any challenges you encountered?
• What would you like the viewer to know about the work?
• How did you choose the medium (or media)? Note: When talking about art,medium refers to the type of materials/art form you used for your creation (i.e.painting, sculpture, photography, etc).
• How did you choose the title of your exhibit? Any special meaning there?

Final sentence: 

• The final sentence should be a wrap up sentence that ties the paragraph together. For example, this may take the form of a call to action, highlighting further research needed, or stating what you hope viewers take away from your exhibit.

Further considerations: 

• Try to capture your speaking voice in the writing, but avoid using slang, clichés, jargon, and over-the-top expressions.
• Your statement should be clear, direct, concise and to the point.
• Use the word “we” and not “I” or “the artists.” Make it come from your Crew.
• Make sure to check your statement for spelling and grammatical errors.