Event Recap: Introduction to Curatorial Dreaming with Dr. Shelley Ruth Butler

On January 31st 2024, we were thrilled to welcome Dr. Shelley Ruth Butler to present an Introduction to Curatorial Dreaming to the Young Friends of the WFFM! 

Screenshot from event

Young Friends from Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Germany, the USA, England, Luxembourg, and Colombia joined to learn about this approach to museum curation. 

Dr. Butler led us through this creative and civic-minded approach to exhibit curation. Drawing on examples from the Qaumajuq / Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre, and the Royal Ontario Museum among many others, Butler highlighted the multiple ways that Curatorial Dreaming can support people to become critical museum visitors. Everything from creating key moments in exhibits to small details like museum labels can be leveraged to prompt critical engagement from visitors. 

We learned that Curatorial Dreaming is not limited to museums, galleries, and heritage sites, but can be used with great success to design exhibits in everyday public spaces such as airports and hospitals. 

How does an exhibit driven by curatorial dreaming come to life? A key part of the process is bringing together museum professionals from different disciplines for workshops. When artists, scholars, museum curators, and museum educators engage in curatorial dreaming together, that’s when the magic happens. 

To find out more about Dr. Butler’s work, visit http://www.curatorialdreaming.ca/