Advance Your Curatorial Vision in Photography

Photographic images are now exhibited more than ever before and in an increasingly wide range of forms and contexts. What are the possibilities and the challenges of making photographic exhibitions today? What are the key ideas and debates? And what are the practicalities involved? 

This intensive program spans a full calendar year ( January – December ), blending guided online classroom study with independent work focused on creating a curatorial project or proposal. Participants will gain a deep understanding of the issues, practicalities, and possibilities of photographic exhibition making, enriched by dialogue with a global community of key figures in the field. Students are encouraged to explore both local and global perspectives in their approach.

Header image by Jeenah Moon, A Trillion Sunsets - A Century of Image Overload, International Center of Photography, New York, 2022 curated by David Campany.

Image by Jeenah Moon, A Trillion Sunsets, International Center of Photography, New York, 2022

 

Meet the Director

David Campany
Creative Director, ICP 
 

David Campany has worked worldwide with institutions including MoMA New York, Tate, Whitechapel Gallery London, Centre Pompidou, Le Bal Paris, ICP New York, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, The Photographer’s Gallery London, ParisPhoto, PhotoLondon, The National Portrait Gallery London, Aperture, Steidl, MIT Press, Thames & Hudson, MACK and Frieze.   Read More  

Program Highlights

The Curatorial Practices in Photography Online program offers a unique opportunity for students and professionals worldwide to engage in a rigorous, year-long course of study tailored for the online environment. This intensive program spans a full calendar year ( January 2026 – December 2026 ), blending guided classroom study with independent work focused on creating a curatorial project or proposal.

The program is open to emerging and established curators, writers, photographers, and artists looking to further their understanding, expertise, and professional networks in the field of photographic exhibition making. International in scope, the program takes advantage of the online environment to allow students, faculty, and guest lecturers to be based anywhere in the world.

Program Structure

  • Term 1 ( January-May ): Introduces key concepts and research fundamentals with an emphasis on project development.
  • Term 2 ( June-August ): Dedicated to independent work, students develop their curatorial project under mentor guidance, with no group classes scheduled. Collaborative projects between students are possible.
  • Term 3 ( September-December ): Students refine and contextualize their projects through collaboration with peers and international faculty, resulting in a cohesive exhibition proposal or exhibition.

Class Structure

  • Class Schedule:  Live classes are held on weekdays from 9 AM to 12 PM or 10 AM to 1 PM EST, totaling approximately 8–10 hours per week via Zoom.
  • Program Commitment: Expect an engaging experience, averaging 6–8 hours per week, including live sessions, assignments, and independent work.

 

Key Areas of Study: Course List

  • The Core Seminar Includes: Critiques, lectures, close readings, research, exhibition case studies, short assignments, project development, writing workshops, and contextualizing of work.
  • Practices of Display
  • Histories and Theories of Exhibition Making
  • Working with Collections and Archives
  • Working with Photographers and Artists
  • Critical Writing
  • Photography and other Media
  • Working in/with Museums
  • Alternative Spaces
  • Exhibition Design  
  • Working with specialized Photo Institutions  
  • Collaborative Approaches
  • Writing Proposals
  • Wall texts
  • Budget management
  • Press and Marketing
  • Grant funding 

Program Overview

Application Checklist

  • Slideroom Application
  • Portfolio – Submit one curatorial project proposal, or up to three—either from your previous curatorial work or a new curatorial concept demonstrating your curatorial vision, approach, and potential. The complete portfolio submission may be up to 30 pages total.  
  • One-Page Statement of Purpose  
  • Two recommendation Letters
  • Transcripts/Diploma
  • English Test Score (*international applicants only) - Minimum required scores: Toefl 68 | IELTS 6 | Duolingo 95 

Material and equipment requirements

To participate in this program, students must have:

  • A laptop or desktop with an up-to-date operating system that supports Zoom (including screen sharing) and Google Workspace (Drive, Calendar, Gmail)
  • Reliable Wi-Fi access
  • An external hard drive and/or cloud storage (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) 

Program Cost

Online Programs
Annual Tuition: $12,500
Application Fee: $60
Total Cost: $12,560

Scholarships and Fellowships

ICP offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships and fellowships for both domestic and international students. These awards provide partial tuition support to select, highly qualified applicants.  For more information, please visit here.   

Applications for the 2026 Academic Year Are Now Open.

The priority deadline for merit-based scholarship consideration is October 19, 2026

ICP’s Online One-Year Certificate Programs begin in mid-January 2026.

Writing and the Photographic Image (Online)

Lean more about ICP's One-Year Certificate Program in Writing and the Photographic Image

Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism (Online)

Lean more about ICP's One-Year Certificate Program in Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism (Online)

Student Exhibitions

Explore past student exhibitions at ICP.

Academic Calendar

Explore key dates and deadlines for ICP’s Academic Calendar, including program schedules and important events for students.