Thinking Back on CAPP—Zulekha Sayyed '13
The committee for the Contemporary Art Purchase Program 2012–2013 consisted of people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our job as a committee was to come together and bring art to the campus community. Not only to students, but also to those who work and visit the campus. Our process began by outlining the goals of our committee. We saw ourselves as the representatives of the student body, and felt that our job was to choose artworks that would be especially meaningful to those who would be interacting with it every day. We wanted the work to connect to the everyday lives of students by addressing the pressing issues facing our generation. In doing so, we would add to the timeline that previous committees had begun for us. We strove to find work that speaks to the diversity of our community. We recognized the perspective of the artist as context for a given work of art, and focused on choosing works from artists of diverse backgrounds as well. As a state college, we felt it was important to support emerging artists in and around Maryland. We wanted to make sure that the work we chose was innovative and unconventional in the fast changing realm of contemporary art. We wanted works that pushed the limits in terms of subject matter, processes, and mediums.
We tackled our challenge by thinking within a curatorial frame of mind. The works we chose should not only speak to our audience, but also be a significant addition to the collection as a whole. We built upon the themes already present within the collection, including culture, race, environmentalism, and process-oriented works. To this conversation, our committee added works that have a broader social and political outlook. Our process included research on contemporary art trends and artists from all around the world. Throughout the year, we met with artists and visited galleries in Baltimore, Washington DC, and New York. We were aided in our process by a class on art markets and collecting taken during the fall semester. We also had the feedback and advice of an advisory board made up of artists, administrators, collectors, and former committee members. After many months of research, travel, and deliberation, we hope that we have done well in presenting art that will be impactful and exciting for many years to come. We hope that when you view the collection you will find a place for yourself, a place to reflect, and a place to be inspired.
Zulekha Sayyed, UMD '13
2012–2013 CAPP Committee