From Selection to Showcase: Behind the 2025 Spring Art Show
On Wednesday, 7 May 2025, one of the largest art shows in the history of the college took place—the Spring Art Show and Vineyard Festival—organized by the ACM-IAU School of Art and the Center for Wine and Gastronomy. Over 100 students, faculty, staff, and alumni attended, making it a truly memorable and successful event for everyone involved.
As head curator for the outdoor section of the ACM-IAU Spring Art Show, I had the unique opportunity to bring together a wide array of artworks from several programs. The show featured pieces from the Marchutz Fine Arts Program, the Mediterranean Core Art Program, and classes in Drawing into Painting, Printmaking, and Photography. My colleagues and I faced the daunting task of deciding how to highlight each piece without overshadowing others.
Curating the show !
Deciding what worked well together and what needed to be kept apart was surprisingly difficult. Some pieces stood strong on their own but disrupted the visual rhythm when grouped with others. I found myself reordering the layout again and again, trying to find arrangements that included everything while remaining visually balanced. It was especially challenging to plan around pieces we had not yet received. Once they arrived, we had to rethink some of the earlier choices to make room for new work on walls we had already settled.
Another unique element was the backdrop. Some walls were makeshift—constructed from cardboard to create space to hang work—while others were exterior walls, where texture and pattern played a role in what fit well. One section was even mounted against a large rock face, where the rust tones and surrounding greenery influenced how we curated the space.
It was a fascinating challenge to build a show that formed a sense of connection across disciplines and skill levels. I hope that guests to the show not only saw the range of talent at ACM-IAU but also recognized the thought and care that went into the curatorial process.
