Women's Instinct to Curate

Of the many roles women have played through history, one of the most interesting is that of Curator. While the nature of women's curation is varied, it retains a feminine uniqueness through its basis in nourishment. The role of Curator encompasses tasks like compilation, collection, self-education, exploration, and organization. Women's curation can be looked at through three lenses: Academic, Artistic, and Abstract. 

Academic:

Women's academic curation has a noble history, going back to the concept of medieval and renaissance-era patronage, and the later concept of the salon. Wealthy and titled women of the Middle Ages often chose to patronize artists, musicians, playwrights, and scholars. Queen Elizabeth I was a noted patron of playwrights, especially Shakespeare, and because of her enablement of his monetary situation and subject matter, could be considered a curator of his work. In the light of patronage, curation takes on a more disconnected meaning, whereby the curator enables or inspires the works created under her beneficent eye, rather than physically collecting or organizing already-completed works. 

The salonnieres of 15th and 16th century Italy and France were sophisticated, intelligent, inspiring women who sought to create interesting places of education and entertainment. The salons they hosted in their homes provided places of refuge and refreshment for philosophers, academics, poets, and artists, and helped encourage 17th and 18th century Enlightenment ideas. These originally-informal gatherings proved to be places of informal education for women, and were copied by many cultures well into the 20th century. Salonnieres like Isabella d'Este and Madame de Rambouillet were respected and honored, with the power to select their salon's guests as well as choose or modify the topics of conversation within the gatherings. In this way the women of the salons curated not only collections of academic minds and artistic talents, but also institutionalized accessible gatherings of ideas and regulated philosophical discussions. 

A modern glimpse of women's knack for academic curation can be seen in the automatic association of librarians as female, in the number of female professors of English, literature, and art, and in the interest of the modern woman in gathering a base of knowledge about historical crime and human psychology.

Artistic:

Makeup, ornamentation, glassware, and home décor: These traditionally feminine interests are an expression of woman's desire to curate the beautiful. Women shine as artistic patrons of history, like Nadezhda von Meck, who supported Tchaikovsky's career, and Empress Tōfukumon’in, who supported and fostered a direct link between leading 15th-century Japanese artisans and the royal family. This noble artistic patronage comes to mind as the leading example of artistic curation, but the vein holds more wealth to be explored. Although historical noblewomen and royal mistresses have often found it inspiring and rewarding to patronize artists and musicians, women of the middle and working classes have contrived to curate their own artistic collections. 

In women's history, the home has never been wasted as a source of artistic inspiration and a palette for artistic expression. Home décor is one of a career housekeeper's favorite artistic mediums. While this field encompasses the smaller decoration-oriented details of organization and artistic collection, it also has had historical repercussions. At the height of the Arts and Crafts movement in America, women developed a taste for the artisan work of of the craftsmen the period is named for. They helped create a movement that craved handmade and hearty creations, exemplifying creative honesty and lasting designs over production-line sameness. Women of the period patronized Arts and Crafts designers, curated Arts and Crafts homes, and worked as craftsmen, tile-makers, metal-workers, and designers themselves. 

On a smaller scale, the artistic curation of the suburban housewife can often be seen in the things she chooses to collect. The glassware cabinets and china collections of western grandmothers exemplify this trend in feminine curation. Many women collect, organize, compile, and create narratives around statuettes, paintings, stuffed animals, houseplants, cushions, doilies, tea sets, and linens. A more pragmatic trend in artistic curation can be found in cultures in India, Africa, and the Middle East, where women have historically collected gold jewelry, most of which is traditionally worn on a woman's body in tandem. More than showing a jackdaw-like appreciation for shiny ornamentation, this trend helped women keep their family's liquid finances under control, and even allowed marginalized women the opportunity to have a small store of individually-owned valuables which they could use to protect and care for themselves. 

Modern artistic curation is often seen in the tendency of women to gather large collections of cosmetics, perfume, and clothing. While this can seem to show a wasteful or even prideful consumer attitude, it can also hearken back to the feminine tendency to curate collections that exemplify an individual's personality and preferences. 

Abstract:

Abstract curation is a more diaphanous idea than its artistic or academic sisters. It can be best seen in the way social media allows women to curate "feeds" that show them media from creators and influencers they identify with. On social media women follow artists, musicians, athletes, designers, brands, and people they agree with and identify themselves with. They create synchronous atmospheres that give them the feeling of being surrounded by like-minded people and beautiful products. The best example of this is one of the most benign forms of social media in existence today: Pinterest. Pinterest is used to create 'boards', or collections of posts, that represent groups of aesthetics, products, art, and how-to articles. These boards serve to feed ideas, curate aesthetics, create stylistic synthesis, and organize plans. Unsurprisingly, Pinterest's biggest user base is women. 

While social media and the internet can often dredge up the worst in humanity, it also serves as a reminder that women's urge to curate is not limited to the physical, and is not completely based in consumerism. Women may use curation as a way to compete with other women, but just as often they may use it as a way to find like-minded communities of women. Women, especially extroverted women, often exercise abstract curation in their circles of friends. They collect like-minded people, mentees, and beneficiaries, and if they are mentally healthy they find great reward in hosting gatherings, mentoring and teaching, and giving to those in need. 

When it comes to exercising feminine curative power in our modern society, my advice is to be mindful. Avoid the consumptive lifestyle. Curate powerful ideas, and curate groups of friends who can share in and benefit from those ideas. Become a creator, and curate your own creations. Surround yourself with beautiful, meaningful things. Use your intuition to find your unique mode of curation.