Curator Insider

Where do curators start to create an exhibition?

A lot of time and thought is put into developing a museum or gallery exhibition. It can take months to years from the planning stages until the day the exhibition is open to the public. A curator oversees many parts of the exhibition development, including establishing a concept, selecting the objects, writing panels and labels, advising the graphic design, supervising the installation, and writing a catalogue.

The most important question a curator asks when beginning to plan an exhibition is: what new ways can the museum’s collection be explored? A curator’s job is to provide meaning to the objects on display; an exhibition is basically another form of storytelling. To do this, the curator will research objects and find how they can be relevant or be a learning experience for their audience.

How do curators layout objects?

The next step is choosing which objects to highlight in the exhibition and organizing them in a way that gives a clear narrative as the audience walks through the gallery space. How and where an object is displayed is vital in this process, for the safety of the object and the museum goer, and for the overall flow of the exhibit. For example, the objects shouldn’t be cluttered together as it could overwhelm visitors, yet the objects shouldn’t be sparse as the space may feel incomplete.

Once the object list and the design are finalized and approved, the exhibition can be installed.

Create Your Own Exhibition at Home

Want a new project to work on? Picked up a new hobby you want to showcase? Then create an exhibition right at your home! This is for people of all ages and can be a fun activity to do with family or friends.

First, think of themes for your exhibition: What do you want to highlight? What do you want your exhibit to say?

Here are some examples:

·       Family history

·       Your favorite books/movies/games

·       Places you have traveled to or want to travel to

·       Your hobbies

·       Your favorite memory or experience

Next, think about the objects to go with your theme. Consider how big you want the exhibition to be and if you want only one type of object or a variety. These objects can be anything, such as artworks/crafts, books, trinkets, postcards, photographs, games, or household items.

It is time to design your exhibition. What room should it be placed in? How should the objects be organized?

Some ideas include:

·       An entire room

·       A board (i.e. cardboard, white board, cork board)

·       A table

·       On a wall

Now for the final touches: the labels. These will help identify your objects. You may also add extended text to one or all the labels to further describe the object. Use our Wall Label Worksheet to fill out the information.

Labels will include:

1.     Artist/Creator (or “Artist not known”)

2.     Title of object

3.     Date object was made (can be approximate or “Date not known”)

4.     Material(s) object is made from

5.     Size of the object (height, width, and depth)

6.     Extended text (optional): In a few sentences or less, describe why the object is important. Why do you like it?

Once your exhibition is put together, share it on social media! Use the #MuseumFromHome hashtag and tag the Madden Museum on Facebook or Instagram @MaddenMuseum.