Being an amateur curator myself through assisting professionals in the field, I’ve learned a few tips and tricks that may prove useful to small galleries or artists looking to set up an exhibit for the public. Curating can often be tasking and hectic, however keeping in mind some simple basic guidelines can help make an exhibit a success.
1. Be Flexible.
Being a curator means working with the artist(s). They are real people and people are not perfect, but it is your job to make sure the exhibit is perfect. When giving you an outline on how they want their artwork to be displayed or a list of their artworks’ titles, there is a good chance that they may misspell or leave out critical information that you won’t discover until you are well into the process of organizing the exhibit. If and when this happens, it is always best to stop and confirm any confusion or lack of information/materials with the artist before making a decision. Never go ahead and improvise and always communicate with the artist,
2. Labels are very important.
Labelling the artwork can seem like a small aspect of a successful exhibit, but it is vital. Traditionally, the labels will sit at the bottom right corner below the artwork –and to gain a good approximate of the distance between the piece and the label, put your hand horizontally between them (it should be about 3”). Depending on the medium of the label you must adjust your font and type size accordingly. If the label is clear, then the font cannot be too small or thin, but rather opt for a bolder style that is visually prevalent against whatever the wall color may be. However, if they label is on a blank white plaque, then feel free to choose a more subtle or thin font. Whichever way you decide to design the labels, it is always important to make sure the design matches the tone and theme of your exhibit.
3. Make sure your press release is grammatically correct and error free.
Again, this may be a simple and obvious aspect of curating, however with the hectic environment of putting up the final touches of an exhibit this part can be overlooked. Take time before printing your press releases to triple-check that there are not errors in the formatting, no syntax errors, and that all the important content/information are present. It is vital to include a small description of the artist, and a peek at the artwork itself (but do not give too much away of the art itself). If you did not write the press release yourself, chances are there will be an annoying “for immediate release” notice somewhere, in addition to a few little annoying marks that were not meant for the public eye. These tiny details are often forgotten, because it is easy for curators to overlook the small stuff while focused on the exhibit as a whole, but such a mistake can ruin the integrity and professionalism of your good name and the exhibit.