This presentation focuses on curating electronic literature as a critical practice. Exhibits focusing specifically on Electronic Literature have been mounted at galleries, libraries, universities, convention spaces, and parks and other outside venues. The Electronic Literature Organization’s 2012 Media Art Show, for example, hosted exhibits in five different locations in Morgantown, including a community arts center, local gallery, the university library, a department’s conference room, and the city’s amphitheater, while the MLA 2012 and 2013 exhibits were held at the Washington State and Hynes convention centers, respectively. Exhibits of Electronic Literature are planned for U.S. Library of Congress in April 2013 and Illuminations gallery at University of Ireland Maymooth in March 2014, and in various locations in Bergen, Norway in fall 2015. This range of venues suggests a flexibility and appeal of Electronic Literature that is both scalable and broad. With these qualities in mind, the presentation will discuss questions including but not limited to:
*How is curating an exhibit of Electronic Literature different from curating other types of media/computer-based art?
*What is needed for preparing and, therefore, better educating audiences who visit Electronic Literature exhibits?
* How can we (or do we even need to) interest critics in reviewing Electronic Literature?
* What are some of the best practices we can use for mounting shows of Electronic Literature?