How to Prepare for a Senior Art Exhibition (Part 2 of 2)

Guest Blogger: Emily Kern, artist & OVAC intern

• During this entire process you should also schedule regular critiques with your professors and peers. This also gives you deadlines to complete work and keeps you motivated to continue expanding and improving your body of work.

• Talk about your work and the concepts behind it to anyone who will listen - family, friends, neighbors, the dog - this will help you feel prepared when all the lights are shining in your face and your nerves would otherwise get the best of you. You should be able to answer questions about your work in your sleep if necessary.

• Last, but not least, you must, must, must plan ahead and prepare your work for display. Nothing ruins an exhibit like seeing really great work poorly displayed. Framing can be expensive, but you can build the frames yourself if you give it plenty of time, or you can apply for grants to help purchase frames. You can buy frame kits at art supply stores online, usually 50% off, if you watch for the sales that come around about twice a year. Also, do your research to see what size frames are carried by your local stores, and create your work to fit standard frame sizes. It will save you money and time in the end. If your work is 3D or video, make sure you have the pedestals and displays that are going to do your work justice. At least a week before your installation date you should have all the necessary equipment you will need to show your work in its best light. Also, when it is time to install your show enlist a team of people to help, setup will go much smoother if you are not alone.

You might be asking yourself who is this person and what does she know about senior exhibitions? I’m Emily Kern, a graduating Studio Art major at Oklahoma State University, and my senior exhibition is currently on display at the Gardiner Art Gallery on the OSU campus in Stillwater, OK. I am sharing this great exhibition with six other artists: Lacey Jade Schultz, Chelsea Dudek, Heather Chadwick, Hali Linn, Mallory Replogle, and Rachel Marks. It is an all female graduating class, and it is a fantastic show if I don’t say so myself. The exhibition will be up until April 9, 2010, weekdays from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Gardiner Art Gallery, 108 Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts at Oklahoma State University.

Hope you enjoy and good luck with your senior art exhibitions. DON’T FORGET TO APPLY TO MOMENTUM SPOTLIGHT BY MAY 5TH!

Images:
Top: Hali Linn, "Christmas"
Middle: Heather Chadwick
Bottom: Emily Kern, "Spirograph 1"