DESIGNING & HANGING A PROFESSIONAL ART EXHIBITION Presented by Mark Parkin

Introduction: Displaying work professionally takes experience and practical experience over a number of years by the artist before an aptitude develops in designing the format in which to exhibit your work whether it be sculpture or two dimensional work. The most typical common errors made by amateur artists & students; Title & Theme: not having a coherent theme running through the exhibition Sightlines: poor presentation & design of exhibition Selection: being selective of their artworks Framing: poor or inappropriate selection of framing Organization: lack of organization, timing & meeting deadlines Promotion: ineffective advertising of exhibition-poor media coverage

Fundamentals There are some basic elements that should understood when presenting your work in a private or public space. 1. TIMELINE: How much time do have to hang the exhibition? 2. SIGHTLINES: Allow yourself enough time to design and mount your artwork , if possible have a design planned before hanging the exhibition. 3. HANGING SYSTEM: Select the correct or appropriate hanging system for your particular type of work you are displaying (paintings, wall hangings or 3D work). 4. FLOOR PLAN: Have a floor plan of the space in which are displaying your preferably with dimensions of the floor & wall space.

EQUIPMENT: Have the proper equipment & personnel at your disposal before mounting your artwork. 6. ARTWORK: Determine the number of works you wish to exhibit and organise them into groups from largest to smallest this will help determine your display plan. 7. PERSONNEL: How many people will you need to help you hang & organise the exhibition? Does the art gallery or public art-space provide technicians that will assist you? 8. TRANSPORT: How will you get the artworks to the venue and will they be protected by the correct packaging?

Design & Implementation

Design & Implementation When establishing a design format the following elements should be considered; Be selective and exhibit your strongest artworks When framing an exhibition try to frame the artworks uniformly Make sure you have the equipment & personnel to hang the exhibition Does the private or public space have it’s own hanging system & technicians? Is there a floor-plan with measurements that include wall & floor-space? How many paintings are in the exhibition ? Is there sufficient wall space to hang all the paintings? Do you have sufficient time to meet the deadline before the opening of the exhibit?

Design & Implementation Make sure that all paintings or artwork have the correct plinths, fastenings or hangers Set your paintings initially on the floor leaning against the wall Take your largest painting and place it centrally Create harmony & a rhythm utilising the format the paintings & wall space Make sure the paintings are level Be observant of your sightlines-Does the exhibit look good from most angles? Label your work professionally stating medium, dimensions & year Have a guest book available ( written public response) with your biography

Set your paintings initially on the floor leaning against the wall, establish the basic design format while calculating the number of paintings to be hung on each wall.

Take your largest painting and place them centrally & subsequently place the smaller paintings beside the largest making sure they are spaced evenly on each side.

Installation : Find and mark the centre point, from left to right, of the space in which you’re displaying your art. If using D-ring hangers without a wire, measure the art from top to bottom and mark the centre of the piece under one of the hangers. If using D-ring hangers measure from the centre mark to the top of the picture hanger and add 58-60” to that measurement for a standard height. This will put the centre of your art at eye level.

Correct height & method for hanging Artwork

Hanging artwork above furniture

Leveling the artwork using a spirit level

Exhibition Design-Sightlines Design your exhibition using the correct spacing, height & floor plan for your artwork. Think of the sightlines which are crucial to its visual appeal. When displaying it’s important that the presentation is in keeping with the theme, concept and overall harmony of design with the wall and/or floor-space. Consider the seating arrangements if any and how you can use it to the best advantage. Most importantly how does each artwork coexist with each other and does the overall design & implementation of the exhibition coincide with the titled & theme?

Sightline 1 to gallery Entrance

Sightline 2 to corner of gallery Entrance

Sightline 3 to lower gallery by stairs

Various design formats

There are various design layouts when hanging your work, for example if you have a number of paintings depicting the same or similar subject you can create an effective arrangement. it’s important that the frames and mounts are the same for a coherent & successful presentation.

The Equipment Tools you will need to Hang Your Art: Hammer Pencil Level Measuring tape Wall hooks Drill

Hanging Systems

Picture Hook D -Ring hanger Use brackets or picture hooks – don’t just hammer nails into the wall alternatively use wall plugs . Make sure to follow the weight recommendation on the hardware package and use hardware that will support your artwork.

Wall bracket Mirror plate Check the hardware to make sure it’s firmly secured with screws to the back of the frame/artwork. If the artwork is heavy, use two D-ring hangers – one on each side of the painting to hang the art When hanging a frame from a wire, use two hooks in the wall for added stability.

D-rings with wire D-rings without wire Measure and mark that distance up from the floor near your center mark on the wall. Align the marks with a level. This will be your center height mark. Measure the distance between the centre of the picture hangers on the back of the art. Divide that measurement in half. Using this measurement, hold that number on your tape to the center height mark on the wall and mark the distance between the hangers. For example: Let’s say your hangers are 20” apart, set the 10” mark in the center height mark. Mark the wall at the end of your tape measure and at the 20” mark. Use the level to align these marks with the center height mark.

Method If using a wire, measure from the centre mark to the top of the tightened wire and add 60” to that measurement for a standard height. This will put the centre of the artwork at eye level. Measure and mark that distance up from the floor near your centre mark on the wall. Align the marks with a level. This will be your centre height mark. Position the bottom of the wall hooks on your marks and hammer in place. If hanging from a wire, makes sure the wire on the back of the artwork is tight enough to hide the hanger when the artwork is hanging on the wall. Lift the art onto the wall hooks. Use the level to check that the art is level.

Rail mounted hanging Systems Wall-Mounted Art Rail The most commonly used rails that allow your artwork to be installed and changed with ease, and without having to continually create and repair holes in your walls. shown here hanging framed artwork with the help of rail clips, and the midway hook.  

Ceiling-Mounted Art Rail This is a surface-mounted ceiling rail, shown here hanging various sizes of artwork from the ceiling with the rail clip and midway grippers

Angled Walls & Ceilings With a sloped ceiling, or you want to hang your artwork along the angle of a staircase, with the rail installed onto the wall with the u-channel facing out into the room, the rail and pivots to allow the cables to remain vertical, and your artwork to be suspended and adjusted anywhere along the path of the rail

Cross section of screw attachment to wall with rail & track Wall mounted rail with attachment clip-arm

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