Each year at MEG, we host five solo exhibitions and five juried group exhibitions. For solo exhibitions, the artist is in complete control of the show theme and the number and presentation format for the images.
Some artists go big, with fewer images, but larger sizes, while others have done the opposite, opting for a greater number of smaller-scale images. Similarly, some artists choose traditional gallery framing, while others present their work on metal, in book form, as encaustics, or through other art mediums. Regardless each exhibition shares an important characteristic — the images included are a cohesive body of work that represents the photographer’s artistic style and vision.
The next solo exhibition at MEG, on display April 9 - May 17, will be a show by Maureen Minehan, and we caught up with her mid-preparation to ask her a few questions about producing an exhibition:
You’re a month away from your show’s opening date? Are you ready?
I’m not sure you’re ever completely ready for your exhibition. In my experience, artists tend to be perfectionists who are considering their work up until the moment it’s hung to determine if something needs to be added or changed. After the work is on the walls, sometimes you have to hold yourself back from tweaking things that only you see. It’s part of what keeps us making art – it’s a constant quest to do more, add more, grow more.
Currently, I’d say I’m about halfway through my exhibition preparations. I’ve selected my images and determined the layout and presentation for the show, and I’m about to move into printing, matting and framing, which should take 7-10 days. If everything stays in, I’ll have 23 images in total.
How do you choose what to include and what to leave out?
To me, this is always the biggest challenge. I often have images I love, but they don’t really work with the overall theme for the exhibition, whether because of color or composition or subject matter. It can be hard to let them go, but I’ve learned to set them aside and if I really love them enough, consider building a different exhibition or portfolio around them in the future. Conversely, I’ve also had to learn how to reject images that fit with the show’s flow or theme, but aren’t great images. Your exhibition is only as good as its weakest image. In the end, I look for images that are cohesive as a group, but also have the strength to stand solely on their own.
Besides preparation of your images, what other work goes into exhibition preparation?
A big one is determining the layout for the exhibition and sequencing of images. Fortunately, at MEG, we’re lucky to have Tom Sliter as an in-house expert on exhibition hanging, and he is able to provide useful suggestions to make the layout interesting and comprehensible at the same time. Exhibiting artists also need to prepare an artist statement that provides context for the work shown and begin reaching out to the broader community to invite them to the exhibition. Outreach through direct contact, social media and regional art publications are all important. We’re also fortunate that local art critics such as Mark Jenkins with the Washington Post and Lou Jacobson with the Washington City Paper often take time to visit our exhibitions and publish reviews of MEG shows, expanding our potential audience.
Are you ready to share your show title?
Not yet. I’m torn between two possibilities (see my earlier answer about perfectionism!). Deadline pressure will eventually force me to make a choice though so stay tuned.
Any advice for others in preparing exhibitions?
Start early. Everything will take longer than you think.
Go big and scale down. It’s easier to toss images out than add them in so start with more images than you know you’ll want and play with different configurations.
Be ruthless. Once you’re ready to scale down, be ruthless in rooting out weaker images or those that don’t fit the context of the exhibition.
Use work prints. Don’t rely on images on a screen to select your show. Produce small work prints that you can tape on a wall and/or lay out on a desk or the floor and move them around. What looks great on a screen doesn’t always translate to great on a wall so start using physical prints early in the process.
Ask for feedback. Check in with a few people whose photographic eyes you respect and ask for feedback on your choices. You might not change a thing, but it’s helpful to have fresh perspectives to consider before finalizing your selections.