About

A Space for Dialogue began in 2002 as a way to provide interns in the Hood Museum’s Curatorial Program an opportunity to create a physical exhibition based on their research. Through the program, students engaged intellectually and artistically with the process of sharing knowledge about works of art found within the Hood Museum’s collection. A Space for Dialogue ran successfully with over 90 different projects until the Hood Museum closed for renovation in 2016. With a lack of physical space available during the renovation, Hood staff began to think about how to continue the program. The idea for a Virtual Space for Dialogue grew out of a meeting between John Stomberg, Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director and Lorie Loeb, Executive Director of the DALI Lab who felt this would give students a unique opportunity to gain experience curating an online space.

The Hood Museum teamed up with the DALI Lab and a Virtual Space for Dialogue began this past year, in 2016-2017. Students continue to research and write about topics of their choice, select objects from the Hood’s collection, and plan a gallery to display their work. Instead of a planning a physical space, they now work on planning a virtual one. The DALI Lab guides the students through the process of planning and creating a web site that supports their research. Students are encouraged to begin with sketches to explore options for the overall structure and organization of their site. They discuss and work through decisions about layout, color, and typography. Careful consideration is given to how these decisions will impact the overall design as well as the experience for their visitors.

We are excited about the future of the program and the continued partnership between the Hood Museum and the DALI Lab. We invite you to explore the student galleries and encourage you to come back as more galleries are added to our space.

Generously supported by a gift from Judy and Neil Smiley, Class of 1982