MA in Visual Arts Management & Curating – starting Fall 2018
Richmond’s MA in Visual Arts Management & Curating equips students with the entrepreneurial knowledge and professional skills required to critically engage with global visual cultures of the twenty-first century and become innovative, creative and resilient leaders in their fields.
Richmond University’s MA in Visual Arts Management and Curating prepares students in the professional knowledge, skills and experience required for a career in the visual arts sector and the creative industries. The program is unique in that it straddles the publicly funded (Not for Profit) and commercial visual arts sector with a strong emphasis on education and curation. Students learn how museums, galleries, auction houses, creative startups, collectors and funders operate in today’s increasingly global art world.
Students will take courses in: arts management and marketing; arts policy; arts education; the international art market; research methods and curating, alongside an (optional) internship.
Optional Accredited Internship
The Internship Programme integrates theory with practice. Students will be challenged to relate classroom situations to the workplace, make contacts which may prove valuable to their future employment prospects, and gain confidence in their capabilities, creativity and communication skills. Internships are designed to be both demanding and rewarding. The internship will provide an opportunity to deploy the skills learned on courses in a real world setting, as students produce an assessed record of their experiences.
Contact the Convenor of the Programme: Dr. Robert J. Wallis wallisr@Richmond.ac.uk
- One-year program based in London
- A global perspective on the visual arts
- Professional training for work in the arts and creative cultural industries
- Accredited internship
- International, research and professionally active faculty
- Small class sizes and faculty supervision
Core (24 credits)
- Research Methods
- Arts Policy
- Visual Arts Management and Marketing
- Curating
- Art Education and the Gallery
- International Art Market
Internship/Professional Research Project (12 credits)
- Internship with Professional Research Project
or
- Extended Professional Research Project without internship
Richmond University’s MA in Visual Arts Management and Curating, prepares students in the professional knowledge, skills and experience required for career placement in visual arts institutions and the creative cultural industries.
The MA offers sustained engagement with the visual arts from an intercultural perspective, training students in marketing, public relations, development, management, curating and gallery education within a visual arts context.
The programme brings art and design historians, theoreticians, professional practitioners and studio artists together to;
- offer a thorough grounding in the interdisciplinary, theoretical and methodological issues related to the study of the visual, and
- equip students with the professional skills and experience to work successfully in a variety of arts and cultural industries.
In 2015 students interned at:
Wallace Collection; South London Gallery; Hanmi Gallery; The Arts Catalyst; Film and Video Umbrella; Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston; JGM Art Ltd; ArtNet
Previous placements include:
Auction Houses
Christies
Lott’s Road Auction House
Museums
Barbican Art Gallery
Saatchi Gallery
South London Gallery
The Story Museum (Oxford)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Wallace Collection
Film and Video Organisations
Dogwoof
Film and Video Umbrella
Commercial Galleries
Sarah Myerscough Gallery
Waterhouse Dodd
October Gallery
Pearl Lam Gallery (Beijing)
Rebecca Hossack Gallery
Publishing Companies
Lund Humphries
Arts Organisations
Art Angel
Artnet
Art on the Underground
The National Trust
DOCTORATE DEGREES / CANDIDATES:
PhD, Art History, University of York, UK – now Paul Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow
PhD, Art History, University of the Arts, London
PhD, Art History, Florida State University – now tenured faculty
PhD, Art History, Harvard University – now visiting Assistant Professor
PhD, Art History, Modern and Contemporary Art, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
PhD, American Art History, University of Iowa – now adjunct faculty
PhD, Art History, University of Texas – now adjunct faculty
PhD, History, Union University – now tenured faculty
PhD, Art History, University of Washington
PROFESSIONAL:
INTERNATIONAL
Exhibition Coordinator, Pearl Lam Galleries, Beijing
Museum Educator, Musée de Louvre, Paris
UK
Head of Social Media, Saatchi Gallery, London
Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Halcyon Gallery, London
Registrar and Exhibitions Manager, October Gallery, London
Artist and Client Registrar, White Cube, London
Curator, Royal Collection, Windsor Castle, Windsor
Director, Global Fine Art Practice, Aon Private Risk Management, London
Junior Researcher / Cataloguer, Metalwork Department, Victoria & Albert Museum
Picture Librarian, The Wallace Collection, London
USA
Arts Institute Digital Marketing Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Assistant Vice President, Art Director, JPMorgan Chase, Columbus, Ohio
Assistant Curator of Exhibits, City of Greeley Museums, Colorado
Associate Director of Art Management, Burning Man Festival, San Francisco
Capital Projects Co-ordinator, Seattle Art Museum
Coordinator of the Parent/Teacher Resource Center, Miami Children’s Museum
Curator, Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, College of Charleston, South Carolina
Director, Impressionist, Modernist and Contemporary Art, Bonhams, San Francisco
Director of Public Relations, Valentine Museum, Richmond, Virginia
Director of Education, Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, New Jersey
Education Manager of School Programs, Guggenheim Museum, New York
Events Manager, Getty Institute, Los Angeles
Executive Director, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Utah State University
Gallery Director, Eva Carter Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina
Junior Specialist / Cataloguer, Contemporary Art Department, Sotheby’s New York
Junior Specialist, Old Masters/British Pictures Department, Christies New York
Picture Researcher, Bridgeman Art Library, New York
Registrar and Collections Manager, Old State House Museum, Little Rock, Arkansas
Registrar and Curator of Permanent Collections, Blanden Memorial Art Museum, Iowa
Writer and Editor, MANA Contemporary, New York
INTERNSHIPS:
UK
Andipa Gallery, London
Art Set International, London
Broadbent Gallery, London
Charlie Smith Gallery, London
Exhibitions Planning Department, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Summaria Lunn Gallery, London
Textiles Department, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK
USA
Advanced Placement Internship, American Art Journal/Fellows Office, Smithsonian, DC
Contemporary Curating, San Antonio Museum of Art, Texas
Crow Indian Museum, Crow Reservation, Montana
Detroit Museum of Arts
Education Department, Chicago History Museum
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago
San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery
Programme leader
Dr Robert J Wallis
wallisr@richmond.ac.uk
Awarding institution
Developed and delivered by Richmond, The American International University in London
Accredited:
Middle States Commission of Higher Education (US )
Duration
One year full-time, September to September.
Two year part-time, September to September.
Location
Kensington Campus.
Additionally, off-site locations are used in London as part of the practical element of the programme.
Application deadline
Students who require a visa to study in the UK should apply by 1st July. UK or EU nationals should apply by 1st August.
Entry requirements
US Bachelors degree from an accredited institution, or UK first degree with minimum second class honours, or an overseas equivalent as determined by the University. Relevant work experience is welcomed and may on occasion be accepted in lieu of a first degree, but is not required.
Professional Research Project Titles 2012-2015
2011-2012
- Embracing the Digital Gallery to Create a Global Platform: a critical examination of participatory pedagogy within the digital gallery
- Moving Beyond Tradition: Examining Digital Interactivity and Marketing in Paddle 8, VIP Art Fair, and Pictify
- The Surrealist Legacy: Guy Bourdin and Contemporary Fashion Photography
- Using Contemporary Art to Negotiate Cultural Meaning and Identity: Romuald Hazoumé, Julien Sinzogan, and Post-Colonial Theory
- Style, Fashion, and Design in English Punk and American Alternative Scenes: How and Why America Rejected the English Mode of Punk
- Expectation and Experience: Visual Interpretations of Avebury Prehistoric Monuments
- 60 Years with Elizabeth: An Examination into the Official Portraits of HM Queen Elizabeth II
- Your Body is a Battleground: Self-Representation in Feminist Art
2012-2013:
Maori and the Museum: Applying Decolonizing Methodologies in Maori Art Displays
- Devil May Cry: Hybrid Art and Culture in Japanese Video Game Design
- If you tweet it will they come?: the impact of social media on public museums and galleries
- Thinking Outside The Box: The Museum Experience and the Expanded Digital Field
- Creating a Platform for Art: New Genre Public Art Practices and Dialogical Aesthetics
- Hammer in Hand: Crafting English Surrealism with Nigel Henderson
- Dressed to the XYs: Constructions of Masculinity within a Commodified Culture
- New Visions Realized in the Musée d’Orsay: Exploring Relationships between Art, Architecture, and Curatorship
- England, Coming to a Theater near You: The Future of Branding England’s National Identity through Heritage Film
- Who Makes the Grade in Tudor Education? Applying New Museum Theory and Educational Best Practices to Three Tudor Institutions’ Education Departments
2013-2014:
- Rude, Crude and Relevant: The Religious Rhetoric of Postmodern Christianity in South Park
- Street Art: Building a Global Community from the Inside Out
- The Commerciality of the Immaterial: Tino Sehgal, Roman Ondák, and the Contemporary Art Market
- The Rise of Art-Fashion Collaborations: As fashion gains cultural credentials, is art losing ground?
- A Fan, a Photo, and Tumblr Walk Into a Bar…: Exploring the Importance of Visual Social Media in Online Fan Communities
- Kensington: A Palace for the Future? Critical Reflections on Post-Museum Pedagogy and Curatorial Strategy in a Historic Royal Residence
2014-2015:
- A Feminist Fight Club: The Intersection of Pop and Politics
- Designed for Death: Nazi Propaganda in the Modern World
- Expired, Unstable and Obsolete: establishing parallels between ‘early’ nineteenth century and ‘industrially produced’ twentieth century photographic processes, as embodied by contemporary practitioners
- If Graffiti Changed Anything, It Would be Illegal
- The Effectiveness of Street Art to Bring about Social Change and Construct National Identity in Africa and Latin America
- Reality TV and its all too real lessons for living and succeeding in the 21stcentury
- A Masterclass: Katie Price and Joey Essex
- Prophetic Art: An Examination of Faith and Healing
- Maori and the Museum: Applying Decolonizing Methodologies in Maori Art Displays
Recent guest lecturers and visiting speakers include:
Danny Birchall, Wellcome Collection ; Russell Dornan, Wellcome Collection; Joanna Banham, V&A; Justine Locker, Tate; John Stack, Tate; Luisa Ulyett, Tate; Anita Bennett, Tate; Caro Howell, The Foundling Museum; Synthia Griffin, Tate; Emma Law, Camden Arts Centre; Jessica Stockford, Arts & Business; Kate Oliver, Horniman Museum; Tiana Tasich, Digitelling Agency; Matthew Cain, The Guardian; Claudia Lastra, The Arts Catalyst
Recent Study Visits – London:
V&A; Tate; Wellcome Collection; British Library; Geffrye Museum; Serpentine Gallery; British Museum; Frieze Art Fair; Sotheby’s; Christies; National Art Library; British Museum; Camden Arts Centre; National Gallery; National Portrait Gallery; South London Gallery
Recent Study Trips – International:
Venice, Berlin, Istanbul

The MA in Visual Arts Management and Curating at Richmond was an amazing experience. The Professors were incredibly approachable and engaging, they allowed me to pursue my own ideas while providing guidance and support that proved instrumental in my research. The course work was interesting and challenging and provided a very international scope of the many different facets of the art world. The campus is located near some of the best museums in London, and many courses included meetings with key members of museum and gallery staffs. These trips were some of my favorite experiences as they provided insight into the structure and inner workings of museums and galleries, and were a chance to apply what we learned about in class in an interactive environment. The program helped me find an internship at a contemporary art gallery in London which turned into a full time position after completing my MA. I am now planning on doing a PhD in cultural heritage stability in the near future, something I know I would not have considered if not for the support and advice of my Richmond professors.
The MA in Arts Management and Curating at Richmond exceeded my expectations. Having worked both in the public and private sector in New York, the program was instrumental in refining my abilities and preparing me for a career in the Arts. For it is based in the prestigious area of Kensington, the classroom expanded to the renowned art institutions nearby such as the V&A and Serpentine Gallery. The MA takes advantage of its surroundings and provides an immersive learning experience. Nearly every week we would go on field trips to hear from museum curators, arts managers, researchers, among others, offering us an exclusive “back stage” pass to renowned London museums and galleries. The lectures were carefully planned to match our curriculum, providing the perfect balance between theory and practice. The faculty engaged with each of us individually, being attentive for our particular strengths and weaknesses as well as our various abilities and interests. Because the course curriculum covers a broad range of knowledge, from arts education to the arts market, I grew confident and ready for the current demands of the international arts world.

I feel very fortunate to have been a part of a wonderful community at Richmond. While getting my MA is Visual Arts Management, I developed close relationships with my professors and lasting friendships with my classmates. I was able to expand my knowledge and experience in the art and museum world on an international scale. Unlike other schools, Richmond’s location in central London allowed our classes to venture out to the innovative and internationally famous museums and galleries it is known for, we made the city our classroom! The small class sizes help you to become close to your classmates and your professors. The individual attention during class and throughout the course of writing your research project was crucial to my success in the MA program. In addition, the practical experience I gained from the internship requirement was crucial in helping me land my first job in a museum. After I got my MA in Visual Arts Management at Richmond, I have gone on to work at The Wallace Collection and Two Temple Place.

It wasn’t an easy choice for me, when I was looking for a university to do my MA degree. Not only was I leaving my home country, family, friends and moving to a completely new world, I was also predetermining my future path. And today I can’t express how happy I am with my choice.
Choosing this course not only helped me to accommodate myself to the new city, being located in one of the most artistic and beautiful areas in London, it also constantly pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and cross the borders of conventional, conservative and theoretical studies, that I was used to.
Practicality of this education, its close cooperation with multiple art organizations and lectures by invited young professionals in the field, were instrumental in forming my appreciation of the art management in London and understanding of how this field is functioning.
MA in Visual Arts Management and Curating prepared me for the issues in the professional art world. Interdisciplinary approach allowed me to have a privilege of knowing the overall multi-departmental structure of museum and be able to solve problems that some of my colleagues are not aware of.
Today I have an experience of volunteering at the V&A and interning for a small gallery in London that allowed me to closely assist one of the world’s renowned contemporary artists – Vitaly Komar and co-curate his exhibition. None of that would be possible without the help and support I got from my MA degree and constant motivation for self-developement. I consider my choice of education one of the most successful in my life and don’t regret any day spent at Richmond University.

Throughout my time studying for the M.A. in Visual Arts Management and Curating, I was consistently challenged and inspired. Lectures, practical exercises, coursework, and incredible mentorship from professors made for the most valuable educational experience I have had in my life. Living in London, surrounded by the arts, further enhanced the culture of curiosity and professional ambition that the professors encouraged. I felt confident in my abilities during my internship placement at an education-focused nonprofit, thanks to what I learned at Richmond. I was offered a position at my host organization at the conclusion of my internship, and I could not be happier working in the arts.

When I began researching which Masters programme might be right for me the majority of courses I came across specialised in a certain area of Arts Management. However, still unsure of a specific aspect of Arts Management I wanted to pursue, when I came across this MA in Visual Arts Management and Curating I was excited to gain knowledge over a variety of disciplines. This course not only allowed me to gain a wide knowledge and experience across the arts sector as a whole, it also allowed me to really get a hold of my specific interests and which direction I wanted to go in once completing my Masters.
Another aspect of this course I was equally surprised and delighted at was the immense amount of support we got from both our lectures and other faculty members, cementing relationships I’m sure we will all continue.

When I decided to switch career paths to the arts, I knew I wanted to attend an institution located in a city where I would have access to world class art. Richmond University has exceeded my expectations in that not only did I experience London, I was able to learn and visit arts organizations across the UK and Europe. The flexibility within our assignments allowed me to explore my interests while also challenging me to expand my knowledge about the art world. My connections with professors, guest speakers, and classmates, have resulted in lifelong colleagues and friends.
Faculty who teach on this programme:
Entry Requirements
What are the entry requirements?
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, or UK first degree with minimum second class honours, or an overseas equivalent as determined by the University. For Masters programmes in the School of Communications, Arts and Social Sciences, a first degree in an appropriate discipline is normally required. Relevant work experience is welcomed and may on occasion be accepted in lieu of a first degree, but is not required.
The language of instruction at Richmond is English, and non-native English speakers are asked to provide IELTS, or Pearson Academic Test of English language examination results as proof of their fluency in written and spoken English. You will need to obtain a score of at least 6.5 overall and a minimum of 5.5 in each element for postgraduate study or Pearson Academic Test of English with 61 overall and 56 in each element.
How to Apply
How do I Apply?
For Masters programmes you may choose one of two application routes:
The Direct Application Form to make a single application to Richmond
UKPASS if you wish to apply to other UK Universities who are part of the UKPASS scheme as well
Scholarships
Find out more about Postgraduate Scholarships
Duration: FT (one year), PT (two years)
UK/EU
£7,000 FT
£3,500 PT
Rest of the World
£12,000
Research-led teaching from the IVAC (The Centre for International Visual Arts and Cultures)
All MA Art History and Visual Culture and MA Visual Arts Management and Curating students, and members of the Art Appreciation Society are automatically entitled to membership of the IVAC free of charge. Richmond students enrolled on other Masters programmes and undergraduates with an interest in the visual arts are welcome to all IVAC events free of charge.