Art Tip - Ideas for Hanging Your show on Panels

As I was inventorying my paintings for the ValeArts Show I quickly realized I needed a plan. Each artist was allotted 4 (four) 3'x6' flats/screened hanging panels for their work.  I needed  to figure out how many paintings could I hang and what paintings worked together.  I also needed to figure how to get my paintings up quickly.

In group shows, you usually are allowed 2-4 paintings so selecting and transporting aren't a problem.  Those shows are usually hung in a simple line or doubled up.  In the past, in a show with a lot of artists, we've leaned the paintings up against the walls as they were dropped off and rearranged them so they worked together, then hung them.   For groupings of multiple rows of paintings on a large wall, I've laid out paintings on the floor so they could easily be moved around until they worked as a group.  With 9 artists in a small space, laying them on the floor or along the wall wasn't going to happen.  

I always do some pre-planning to get a layout in my head before a show, but that usually changes to some degree once I start hanging.  This time, I fell back on my Bu training and decided I needed to create a written ops plan. 

I had a couple of ideas

Idea #1 was to get a cloth the correct size and lay it on the floor.  A cheap solution for that is to cut an old shower liner (heavier than cloth, so easier to work with) that you didn't toss out because artists don't throw away stuff they might be able to use in an art project!!  Once you get an arrangement that fits, take a picture with your cellphone and off you go.  

I learned quickly that I couldn’t hang

by theme or color, although I 

started each panel that way.  I had to 
find smaller paintings to fill empty spaces

Plan #2:  I thankfully finally remembered I have 4 panels stored that I don't use, but loan out to other artists.  I volunteered to store them for the Springfield Art Guild so my good deed was about to pay off.  If you don't have panels and have time you might be able borrow one.  I set one up in the climate controlled comfort of my studio.  I lined up all the paintings I was considering along the wall and floor.  Then I went to work deciding what worked together and more important... what fit together on the panel.  

After I got an arrangement done, I took photos.  Since I 4 panels, I also assigned each grouping a number and wrote the group # on a piece of blue tape on the back of each painting.  Then I boxed up the paintings for each panel together.  Since most were 20" or under I could get them all into a box.  It worked like a charm!   

FYI: Whenever I transport a lot of smaller paintings, I take a sturdy box or large plastic container and place a piece of cardboard on both sides of every painting.  Once the box is full, but not too heavy, I use bubble wrap or something light to fill in the rest of the space so the paintings do not flop when I'm transporting them. I found that instead of laying them out flat, boxing them saves me a lot of trips. 

Even though I had the photos on my phone, I also printed a working size black & white copy (1/4 page) which allowed me to also have room make notes.  I hung a sheet on each panel (much to the amusement of the experienced artists!...Although they hid it well) so that I didn't have to keep pulling out my phone. 

It was a bit more work on the front end, but it turned out to be a life saver for someone who hadn't hung on panels in a long time.  My 27 paintings went up fast.  

 

August Hot Wheels Reception

THANK YOU  to everyone who was able to stop by my reception on the 10th and the friends who could not make it who called or sent me lovely notes and email.  And I don't want to forget those who couldn't come on the 10th, but have stopped by to see the show.  I am very blessed & grateful for a terrific turnout of so many friends.   Unfortunately, I didn't designate anyone to take photographs at the reception so I don't have pictures from the 10th. Oh well, next time! 

It’s hard to believe that after working for months to get ready for the show the end of the month is getting near.  My show runs until the 30th.  If you haven't visited Occoquan its a wonderful quaint town on the river with a number of nice restaurants, shops and of course art galleries!  

Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan VA (upstairs)

August Hot Wheels - Loft Gallery

I'm having a show next month.  "AUGUST HOT WHEELS" runs from August 5 through the 31st at the Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan, VA.  My 'Meet the Artist Reception" is on Sunday, August 10th from 1 to 4 PM.  

I'm very excited (and stressed) to be the artist of the month at the Loft Gallery for August.
At a co-opt gallery the artist is a one man show and is in charge of everything dealing with the show (hopefully with help from your friends at the gallery).  I have a check list which feels a mile long. The shows always sneak up on me.  It always seems like it is so far down the road, but you have deadlines a couple of months out for ordering things like your postcards, frames, creating a write up for publicity and the list goes on!  

  Tips: Just some of the things to think about if you are having a show: 

Photograph all your work.  You'll need that for your postcards and advertisement, plus once its purchased you won't have the opportunity to do it!  If you forget until the last minute chances are you won't do it or it will already be varnished or behind glass so it will be harder to get a good photo.  Also, arrange to photograph your work once it is hung.  

Order frames about a month before a show.  Framing takes time to order and then to actually do the framing if you are doing it yourself.  Take extra hardware and tools when you go to hang, just in case.  You don't get to your venue and realize you've forgotten to attach the hardware or a wire! 


Besides frames what kinds of things do you need to order?  Letters for wall signage? Postcards?  Postcards need to be mailed out a couple of weeks before the show.  

There will be things you will need to make or have done....posters, labels for your work, a list of your work for the front desk, certificates of authenticity, etc.  Decide your pricing.  Include your prices when you post them online for the show.  Will you have your prices on the labels or on a inventory sheet for people to pick up? Decisions, decisions!

Labels: Include Your name,  title, price, medium and size.  Some people can't visualize size so that helps if they have a specific place they want it to hang.  I've certainly bought something and got home and found it was just a little too big.  I like to attach a label on the back so your patron will have all that information about the painting when they get home.  

Email your photographs to whoever is in charge of the venue's webpage. Do they have a Facebook page?  Make sure you are on it too. 

Check to make sure you've signed all your work.  You'd be surprised how often you'll find at least one you've somehow missed and have the person buying it point that out to you.  

Do you have the supplies you need to transport safely?  Those expensive frames are so easy to nick up. 

Measure the space where you will be hanging ahead of time.  If you haven't hung a show, I would suggest you guesstimate how long you think it will take, then double that.  Don't forget you will be working around the show that is coming down.  Find out if you may need to touch up the walls.  If so, you'll need time for the paint to dry.  I would suggest that if you have the luxury of having the space at home or in your studio to lay out your work before you go to the gallery and create a diagram to help save time.  


...and we haven't even started to think about the reception!!