Module Directory

This module offers you the opportunity to learn about and shape the future of the Essex Collection of Art from Latin America (ESCALA) by developing research and professional skills to pitch an artwork for acquisition by the collection. Over an intensive period of 10 weeks, you will learn about the development of curatorial frameworks for collecting and displaying art from Latin America, contemporary art from Latin America, the foundation, mission and vision of ESCALA, and the practical steps required to successfully acquire an artwork. This module gives you a unique opportunity to engage with the real-world challenges of running a University-based art collection, through sessions led by ESCALA's curatorial team. Through research-focused sessions, we will also engage closely with the recent exhibitions of ESCALA works at the University gallery Art Exchange, and the ESCALA collection themes of Environment, Indigenous America and Human Rights.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with opportunities to study artworks from ESCALA at first-hand, directly accessing the Collection and related resources.


• To encourage students to research a new acquisition for a university art collection.


• To equip students to develop real-world transferable skills in making a written and oral case to an art acquisitions funding board.


• To equip students to turn a written report into an oral and visual presentation and to develop their presentation style and skills.


• To equip students to work collaboratively rather than competitively.


• To equip students to work under time pressure.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Developed the skills to research a new acquisition in relation to ESCALA's current acquisition policy and focus.


2. Developed the skills to make a written acquisition proposal to an art acquisitions funding board, using the template provided by the Art Fund and adapted for the module.


3. Developed the skills to turn a written proposal into an oral and visual presentation.


4. Developed their individual presentation style and skills based on feedback from the tutor and peers and on self-evaluation.


5. Developed an ability to work individually, in pairs and then in groups in a collaborative rather than competitive way, gaining an insight into their own and other people's strengths and how to harness these to reach a common goal.


6. Improved their ability to work flexibly and under the pressure of time in learning new material and transforming it into different formats within a few weeks.


7. Gained a greater awareness of ESCALA and of contemporary art traditions beyond Europe and the U.S.

"Collecting Art from Latin America” will support the development of core skills for your development as emerging professionals in cultural institutions. You will learn how to write and then present an acquisitions proposal, based on a model used by the Art Fund, which you’ll pitch individually to an expert panel. The coursework also focuses on the production of short artwork analyses geared toward real-world modes of dissemination, such as exhibition catalogues and labels. You will be guided carefully through this process and will be required to work within a clear set of guidelines and procedures which will also give you insight into the standards of best practice followed by collections such as ESCALA that are accredited by Arts Council England. Should the expert panel reach consensus, ESCALA may purchase the "winning" artwork.

Although no prior regional expertise is required for this module, students are encouraged to gain an initial awareness of art from Latin America before the module begins through recommended readings. Weekly required readings on theoretical and art critical issues will inform group discussions and individual research into artworks to be proposed for acquisition in the coursework assignments. Students will need to become familiar with ESCALA's holdings through online resources, such as artist interviews and texts produced by students from the University of Essex, as well as independent research.

This module will be delivered via:

• Weekly two hour seminars

This module requires students to complete the essential readings for each week in order to facilitate discussion during the seminars. The sessions cover topics, theories and artworks; discussion and close analysis of ESCALA artworks; discussion of set readings; presentations on ESCALA's institutional ethos and collecting policy; and formative advice and feedback to strengthen presentation skills and coursework preparation