
Georges Braque
High Round Table
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Through the art exhibit Inevitable Deterioration the library’s teen curators Maria Lopez-Hernandez and Quinn Waugh explore artworks that demonstrate the aspects of natural cycles and mental health cycles. View this exhibit in the library rotunda and main hallway through July 14, 2023.
What does a teen curator do?
Curate This is a semi-annual program that brings teens from area high schools together to curate an exhibit. To begin the participants decide on a theme or main idea. The teen curators put out a call for art from high school artists and select pieces that help tell their story best. By looking through the artworks in the Alice C. Sabatini Gallery permanent collection (items the library owns), they fill out the exhibit.

Maria Lopez deciding where to place art.
The guest curators research our records and use the library resources to create text for the exhibit, which includes information for the artwork labels. They also write a curatorial statement (see above) that explains the story or idea the exhibit is organized around.
Teen curators learn to mat and frame artworks as needed. Deciding where each of the pieces and text will be placed is an important part of the layout process. Finally, the teen curators hang the artworks with careful measuring and leveling, and arrange the cases.
Voila! It is a finished exhibit.
2023 Teen curators
Maria Lopez, senior at Washburn Rural High School
Quinn Waugh, junior at Topeka West High School

Maria & Quinn
I love all things art and have been around it all my life. My mother is a painter in Topeka who works at ArtsConnect. I’ve always been interested in curation and am considering pursuing museum or library work. This program is great for exploring these interests more thoroughly.