The Orcas Center is well used. On a Wednesday, when Pam and I brought our 50 paintings to be hung, there was: a yoga class, a drawing class, a private violin lesson, a middle-school performance of "Patience" (Gilbert and Sullivan), and another group that was hanging the results of their advanced painting class in the large classroom next door. We might have preferred a more meditative atmosphere for our endeavors but it was heartwarming to see a thriving arts community on Orcas Island.
Here are some things I learned:
1. Make the wire hangars on the back of the work loose enough so that you can reach behind as you're trying to locate it on the hook on the wall. Ideally, every wire will pulls up to the same spot on the back of the painting, around 2 1/2 inches. That way you can set the hooks in the wall without re-measuring each time.
2. We hung our paintings in the French studio style, with dense groupings which, we hoped, enhanced each individual piece through conversation with the nearby pieces. In general, my saturated colors and earth themes went low and Pam's delicate colors and sky themes went high. But not always.
We could hear the people in the classroom discussing hanging height and proximity, but when we looked, they had been hanging one piece per 4 foot panel, at eye height, all the way around. The effect was formal and in a way, more respectful of individual pieces since their placement and surroundings were of lesser importance.
3. Politely but firmly fend off help! We had a team of volunteers who were eager to help. But, what with the middle-school performance and the slew of people who marched hither and yon, and the friendly people who made remarks, we both found that help was not very. Sad, but true.
4. Supplies list:
The paintings, with wire hangars, packed in boxes and packing material designed to keep the work from slipping around. Don't bother to label the boxes, as they'll be re-packed differently at the end of the show.
Wall labels, 14 pt type, with: Artist/Title/Year/Medium/Price
Inventory list, double-spaced, with: Title/Dimensions/Price
Toolbox with: (Don't trust the nice old ladies who claim that their tool kit has everything we need. It doesn't.) Hangars and nails, hammer, tape measure, spirit level, sticky tape to temporarily mark walls, notebook and pen. Discount card for the hardware store.
Stepladder
Camera
5. The most important thing is a "yes and" instead of the "no but" attitude.
Especially when hanging a show with a person who has slightly different tastes, it's important to remember the overall magnificence and joy of the universe. Anything smaller than the universe is a temporary problem. Don't worry about it. To remember this, keep your blood sugar stable.
Here are some things I learned:
1. Make the wire hangars on the back of the work loose enough so that you can reach behind as you're trying to locate it on the hook on the wall. Ideally, every wire will pulls up to the same spot on the back of the painting, around 2 1/2 inches. That way you can set the hooks in the wall without re-measuring each time.
2. We hung our paintings in the French studio style, with dense groupings which, we hoped, enhanced each individual piece through conversation with the nearby pieces. In general, my saturated colors and earth themes went low and Pam's delicate colors and sky themes went high. But not always.
We could hear the people in the classroom discussing hanging height and proximity, but when we looked, they had been hanging one piece per 4 foot panel, at eye height, all the way around. The effect was formal and in a way, more respectful of individual pieces since their placement and surroundings were of lesser importance.
3. Politely but firmly fend off help! We had a team of volunteers who were eager to help. But, what with the middle-school performance and the slew of people who marched hither and yon, and the friendly people who made remarks, we both found that help was not very. Sad, but true.
4. Supplies list:
The paintings, with wire hangars, packed in boxes and packing material designed to keep the work from slipping around. Don't bother to label the boxes, as they'll be re-packed differently at the end of the show.
Wall labels, 14 pt type, with: Artist/Title/Year/Medium/Price
Inventory list, double-spaced, with: Title/Dimensions/Price
Toolbox with: (Don't trust the nice old ladies who claim that their tool kit has everything we need. It doesn't.) Hangars and nails, hammer, tape measure, spirit level, sticky tape to temporarily mark walls, notebook and pen. Discount card for the hardware store.
Stepladder
Camera
5. The most important thing is a "yes and" instead of the "no but" attitude.
Especially when hanging a show with a person who has slightly different tastes, it's important to remember the overall magnificence and joy of the universe. Anything smaller than the universe is a temporary problem. Don't worry about it. To remember this, keep your blood sugar stable.
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