# curating

> process of overseeing the collections, exhibitions, research activities, and personnel of a museum, gallery, or other collection

**Wikidata**: [Q63386008](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q63386008)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curating)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/curating

## Summary
Curating is the process of overseeing the collections, exhibitions, research activities, and personnel of a museum, gallery, or other collection, serving as a core function in managing cultural and informational assets.

## Key Facts
- Curating is a subclass of collections management, which includes processes like acquisition, curation, and deaccessioning.
- Curating is practiced by curators, as indicated by the "practiced_by" property.
- Curating is distinct from curing, with a different meaning and application.
- Digital curation involves selection, preservation, maintenance, collection, and archiving of digital assets, while curating has a broader scope encompassing physical and digital collections.
- Exhibition curation is a specific type of curating focused on organizing and presenting exhibitions.

## FAQs
### Q: What is curating?
A: Curating is the process of overseeing the collections, exhibitions, research activities, and personnel of a museum, gallery, or other collection.

### Q: How is curating different from curing?
A: Curating refers to managing collections and exhibitions, whereas curing relates to healing or treating.

### Q: Who practices curating?
A: Curators are the professionals who practice curating, as indicated by the "practiced_by" property.

## Why It Matters
Curating plays a vital role in preserving, organizing, and presenting cultural, scientific, and informational assets across museums, galleries, and other institutions. It ensures that collections are managed responsibly—through acquisition, preservation, and deaccessioning—while exhibitions and research activities are conducted effectively. This process safeguards heritage, enables scholarly inquiry, and engages audiences, making curating essential for the stewardship of human knowledge and creativity.

## Notable For
- Curating encompasses a broad scope beyond digital assets, distinguishing it from algorithmic curation, which relies on recommendation algorithms for content selection.
- It is a foundational practice within collections management, integrating multiple functions like exhibition design, research coordination, and personnel oversight.
- Digital curation, a subclass of broader curating, focuses specifically on managing digital assets, highlighting curating's adaptability across physical and digital domains.
- Exhibition curation, another subclass, emphasizes the presentation and interpretation of collections for public engagement.

## Body
### Definition and Scope
Curating is defined as the process of overseeing the collections, exhibitions, research activities, and personnel of a museum, gallery, or other collection. This role involves managing the lifecycle of assets—from acquisition and preservation to deaccessioning—and coordinating research and exhibition efforts to communicate cultural or scientific narratives.

### Related Concepts
Curating is closely related to collections management, which includes acquisition, curation, and deaccessioning. Other related practices include:
- **Digital curation**: Focuses on selecting, preserving, maintaining, collecting, and archiving digital assets.
- **Exhibition curation**: A specialized form of curating dedicated to organizing and presenting exhibitions.
- **Collaborative curation**: Involves joint efforts by multiple actors to care for collections.

### Practitioners and Roles
Curating is practiced by curators, who are responsible for the day-to-day management of collections and exhibitions. This role may involve research, exhibition design, collection care, and coordination with other staff or stakeholders.

### Distinctions from Similar Entities
- **Algorithmic curation**: While algorithmic curation uses recommendation algorithms to select and present content (e.g., on social media or search engines), curating is a broader, human-led process focused on stewardship and interpretation.
- **Content curation**: Content curation involves gathering information relevant to a specific topic, whereas curating applies to managing physical or digital collections in institutions.
- **Fossil preparation**: Fossil preparation is a specialized technique for preparing specimens for research or exhibition, distinct from the broader curatorial oversight of collections.

### Historical and Institutional Context
Curating has evolved to adapt to new media and technologies, with digital curation emerging as a key subset. Institutions like museums and galleries rely on curators to balance preservation with accessibility, ensuring that collections remain relevant and engaging for contemporary audiences.

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "curating",
  "description": "The process of overseeing the collections, exhibitions, research activities, and personnel of a museum, gallery, or other collection",
  "sameAs": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q611299", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curating"]
}

## References

1. BNE authority file
2. Art & Architecture Thesaurus
3. BBC Things
4. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
5. American Folklore Society Ethnographic Thesaurus