2020 Faculty Biennial Profile: Stephen Rueff

Meet the artists of the 2020 MCAD Faculty Biennial.

Historically, curation—from the Latin “to care”—has included a wide range of activities and definitions. In some instances, an individual curator arranges and contextualizes works communicating a specific perspective. Another approach, often seen in museums and private collections, has curators catalogue and subjectively interpret works. Biennales often see artist-curators can be seen creating themes, contextualizing or re-contextualizing works, and sometimes include artists who respond to the themes. Another approach considers curation as a creative process conducted by artists, framing research and assemblage as “hidden” work, an exciting development in curation.

For the past seven years I have had the opportunity to act as curator and manager for a private collection of popular culture items and ephemera estimated to contain 200,000 pieces. During this time, I have explored a range of approaches to curating this collection. The collector and I assemble items into themed touring exhibitions and travel these to history centers and museums across the United States. Our most recent exhibition is currently installed at the Bellevue Arts Museum (Seattle-area), with future exhibitions slated for California and Missouri.

In June 2020 I enrolled in the International Curatorial Program, offered by the Berlin-based NODE Center for Curation. This 10-month long program continues to inform my insights and understanding of curation. This talk will reflect on the ways in which I have explored the act of curation, my continued research, and how my approach is shifting and changing.

About Stephen Rueff

Prior to joining academia, Stephen Rueff was a dancer and choreographer who was twice awarded McKnight Fellowships. Later, Rueff worked in arts management and production, managing the Kitchen Theater (NYC), and touring throughout North America, Europe, and Asia with artists such as Blue Man Group, Karen Finley, MacArthur Genius Award Recipients Meredith Monk and Bill T. Jones, and many others.

After falling in love with business, he became an account manager and executive producer for global corporate communications companies Jack Morton Worldwide and BI Worldwide, where he produced events throughout the United States and in France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Austria, Czech Republic, and Bahrain.

Today, Rueff is passionate about supporting artists and designers through arts entrepreneurship in higher education, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. He is a member of MCAD’s anti-racism/anti-oppression committee and a board member of the Society of Arts Entrepreneurship Education, an international members organization.

Stephen Rueff grew up collecting comic books in the 1960s and is the co-founder of SuperMonster市City!, a venture celebrating monsters, superheroes, and villains through museum exhibits, books, and more. He curates the exhibitions, which are booked through 2021. More information can be found at SuperMonsterCity.com

Rueff is a Professor at MCAD and Chair of the Arts Entrepreneurship department. He earned his MBA from Presidio Graduate School and a BA from Empire State University.

A video recording of Stephen Rueff's Faculty Forum presentation, Curation as a Creative Practice, is available here.