I recently visited the Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA, which featured objects that have continued to challenge how we understand art. A cage filled with cubes of marble. A painting with a brush jutting from the canvas. String dropped and mounted to board to capture the moment at which it came to rest. Despite the odd nature of the exhibition, people were buzzing about each space — even snapping photos of Duchamp’s famous signed urinal, Fountain. 

Except the original Fountain no longer exists. One showroom featured Duchamp’s early reproduction of it, while the adjoining spaces featured reproductions of that reproduction. People moved fr:om copy to copy, filling their phones with pictures of urinals. So, my question for Becky Alley, manager of the Bolivar Gallery at the University of Kentucky School of Art and Visual Studies: “If only reproductions of the original exist, are the many copies of Fountain even art? If the original Fountain was just one of many identical urinals manufactured for sale, is the original even art?”

In Alley's view, the answer is yes because art begins with intention. “Art is something that is not earned or deserved,” Alley said as we sat in an empty classroom. Alley is a multidisciplinary artist who also operates as a teacher and curator. Throughout the year, she manages shows led by students, faculty, community members, and artists she personally selects for exhibition. I can attest from my own time as an intern that these galleries are rarely empty; students install and remove work at all hours. For someone who handles a wide variety of art, Alley defines art by an “intention for it to be seen as art, either by the artist themselves, a curator, or someone else.” So, in the case of Duchamp, even the reproductions of Fountain would qualify as art because they are intended to be viewed as such.

By emphasizing intention, Alley demonstrates how important it is to move away from conversations about quality — instead of debating how “good” a piece is, it is more insightful to ask why the artist or curator chose to exhibit an object, experience, or even a sound as art. By examining art in this way, the viewer can engage with meaning — that is, with the particular perspective the artist or curator is sharing with the audience.

If art fosters this encounter with meaning, then curation is creating the conditions to have “an experience meaning.” In this sense, curation is defined in fairly simple terms: In order to curate, one must have a collection of art objects, an audience, and a space to present those objects to that audience. “You can have an exhibition in your garage. I’ve done it,” Alley said. 

This understanding of curation as an accessible practice guides Alley’s own work with Muse Collective. She and fellow curator Samantha Simpson established the collective in 2024 with the goal of providing “opportunities for artists to unite, share their work, and exchange ideas across the Bluegrass region and beyond.” Muse Collective exhibitions are unorthodox in their approach to space — for example, Alley and Simpson often show works in the back of a U-Haul box truck. Whether it is parked at Blue Stallion or Woodland Park, surprised passersby are invited to walk up a clanging ramp and into the pop-up gallery.

By curating outside traditional art spaces, Alley seeks to remove barriers to make art more accessible. No individual or space is “neutral” to Alley. Everything is shaped by the viewer’s particular perspective and lived experience, so it’s important to her that Muse Collective create a space for dialogue and exchange. “I just think there’s room for more,” Alley said at the end of our conversation, likening the array of art offerings to an ecosystem. Just as in the natural world, diversity is essential to the art landscape. By approaching curation in terms of simplicity and accessibility, we can foster a healthier, more vibrant creative environment. 

For more on Muse Collective, see this UnderMain feature. For more interviews with local curators, please visit the series page.