My name is Natalie and I am a current intern here at Columbia Art League. I had the honor of helping out with the setup of the Repeat show alongside the wonderful Hannah Reeves from the Sager Reeves gallery, and I discovered quite a lot while doing so. The Repeat exhibition highlights the importance of repetition and precision that makes art so aesthetically pleasing. This same precision and attention to detail was also needed for setting up the show in a manner that highlighted each piece’s personal brilliance correctly. During the setup of this show, there were several challenges we came across. There is a heavy emphasis on color theory and interior design knowledge one must obtain to set up art pieces in a gallery successfully, which I learned quickly. The composition of the exhibition can completely alter the mood or theme of the pieces, so setting up pieces that fit well next to each other is absolutely imperative. Additionally, the size and medium of the artwork also posed a challenge because while aesthetic is important in the setup of the show, adequately using our amount of space is just as important. These two challenges often clashed with one another, for some pieces looked great together, yet did not fit in the space well together. The method of set up that was most successful came down to a happy medium between aesthetic and space, with pieces of similar color or styles placed together most often.
As a current art student at Mizzou, it was fascinating to see how the artists’ work and the work of the gallery went hand and hand. I had no prior knowledge of how a gallery show set up was executed, and helping with the setup of this show taught me a lot about how I as an artist need to consider the work of the gallery more when creating pieces. I learned how crucial it is to create a proper backing to your artwork, for even the label on your piece is a huge part of what makes your art identifiable. Additionally, creating an efficient way to hang your pieces is necessary. The way you assemble the wire onto the backing of your piece can completely change how the piece will hang in the gallery, making it vital to do so adequately. It is these very small details that I as an artist had no idea were essential before being a part of this exhibition. Overall, the set up of this show taught me so much about how to excel as an artist along with giving me the proper knowledge of how to set up a successful gallery space. Being a part of this show will be an experience I will never forget!
