Exhibition Development

How an Idea Becomes an Exhibition

Many people wonder how an exhibition is developed. The answer to that question varies with the type of exhibition involved: whether it is curated (organized) by the museum or not, whether it is made up of pieces the museum owns or not, and whether it is a one-person show or a group show.

All exhibitions start with an idea. Maybe the Curator has seen the work of a particular artist that he or she likes, and decides to show that artist’s work. Maybe the Curator has seen a trend in art that they would like to see explored. Or maybe, the Curator has an idea for a central theme for an exhibition (like landscape paintings or abstract sculptures). After the Curator decides what the show is about, he or she decides when the exhibition will be on display. Then, he or she starts selecting the work to be included.

In the case of an exhibition organized by the museum, the Curator contacts art museums, galleries and artists to determine what artworks are available. At that point, the museum and the lender sign loan agreements to ensure that the piece the Curator asked for will be committed to the exhibition. After the loan agreements are returned, the Curator or the Registrar (the person in charge of keeping track of all artwork coming into or leaving the museum, including pieces owned by the museum) will begin to arrange the delivery of the artwork. In most cases, the artwork is shipped to the museum using a fine art shipping service; however, if the lender is located close to the museum, members of the curatorial department will pack and ship the artworks personally. Once the work is in the building, it must remain in its packing materials for 24 hours. This allows the artwork to adjust to the climate of the museum so that it is not damaged by a quick change in temperature or humidity. Once the artworks are opened, the Curator and the Exhibits Specialist move the artwork into the gallery and begin to arrange and install the exhibition.

In the case of an exhibition of artwork that the museum owns, after deciding on a theme and time slot, the Curator explores all of the artworks in the Permanent Collection that fits the theme, and chooses the number of pieces that will fit in the gallery space. If any of the pieces need to be framed or require special attention prior to being displayed, the Curator coordinates those activities with the Exhibits Specialist. Then, when the time comes to install the exhibition, all they have to do is arrange and install the artwork.

Sometimes a museum will organize an exhibition of sufficient cost and complexity as to make it necessary to seek other museums to host the exhibition. These are called touring exhibitions, and they are common in the museum world. Touring exhibitions are so common, in fact, that a number of companies exist that specialize in organizing these types of exhibits and then “renting” them to museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions. If a museum borrows a touring exhibition, it saves them the time and effort needed to organize their own show. And when an exhibition tours, much of the cost is shared by the hosting institutions, making them less expensive than they would have been if only the originating museum had held the exhibition in its galleries. This, in turn, often allows a museum to bring artwork to its visitors that it might not otherwise be able to show.

Submitting Your Portfolio for Consideration

Sometimes artists send information about themselves to museums in hope of being considered for an exhibition. Whether or not the museum chooses to show work submitted without the request of the Curator depends on many factors, the most important being whether or not the work fits the style and standards of the museum. After that, time is considered. Most museums schedule their exhibitions two to four years ahead of time, so the artist who submits his or her portfolio will not usually get into a show until much later.

If you are an artist, and you are interested in being considered for an exhibition opportunity at Polk Museum of Art, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Because we are a small institution, we do not regularly review submissions. Our Curator will be happy to look at your slides, but he may not be able to respond immediately.
• If you plan to submit your work for consideration, please include in your packet a resume, artist statement, images of your work (preferably slides, but photographs or digital images in .jpg, .bmp, or .tif format are acceptable), and a self addressed, stamped envelope if you would like your images returned.
• The quality of your images does count! If your slides are dark or your CD is unreadable, the Curator will not be able to see your work. Make sure your slides or photographs are clear, well lit, and free of distracting backgrounds. If you submit a CD, make sure your images are properly saved, have not been degraded by too much compression, and that when you burn your CD you do so at a slow speed and you finalize the disk. We use PC’s at Polk Museum of Art, so if you are a Mac user, please save all of your files in PC format.
• DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL ARTWORK! We cannot be held responsible for originals sent to us without the consent of the Curator and the Executive Director.
• Submit your materials to: Polk Museum of Art, attn: Curator of Art, 800 E. Palmetto St., Lakeland, FL 33801-5529.