Thoughts on creating a photo exhibit

“Mirage of the Ocean”, my first photo exhibit in 12 years, opened Nov. 1 at the Howe Library in Hanover, NH. The opening reception was a success – there were enough visitors that the gallery was never empty, but I was able to meet and talk with everyone.

Creating and hanging an exhibit is a tricky process. Here are a few tips I’ve learned on how to best do it.

1. Give yourself plenty of time. Don’t feel like because a gallery has an immediate opening, you have to take it. Make sure you feel comfortable with the timeline to prepare the show – the artwork, labels, and publicity - the way you want it.
2. Realize that it’s not just the artwork. Unless you’re exhibiting at a larger gallery or even a museum, you may have to generate a lot of the publicity materials yourself. For this show, I made and distributed my own posters, created social media events, posted in local email lists, and added a listing to the arts section of the local newspaper.
3. Budget carefully. Price out different presentation options and see what fits in your budget. For this show, I specifically chose Bay Photo prints on gatorboard with foam blocks for hanging. The prints can still be matted and framed as buyers want, and I was saved the cost of framing.
4. Know your space. So, true story – I had been back to the gallery four or five times and made multiple measurements. However, I missed one panel, which I realized as I was pulling the prints out of their boxes and getting ready to hang. I was able to make a quick poster that included an enlargement of the artist’s statement, but do yourself a favor – avoid the stress and know exactly how much space and in what configuration you have to work with.
5. Measure twice, hang once. I figured out a fairly simple way to hang the prints at a good level for viewing. Let’s explain this using a print that is 36 inches tall.
   1. Start at 57 inches from the floor.
   2. Add half the height of the print – in this case, 18 inches.
   3. Subtract the distance between the hanging point on the back – in this case, the bottom of the foam blocks I mentioned earlier – and the top edge of the print.

   That’s your point for the hook/nail/whatever you are using.

6. Recruit some help. For the actual hanging, it’s always good to have some extra hands. I was lucky enough to have some help that is really handy, so we were able to hang the show within a couple of hours.