How to Choose Pictures for an Art Gallery Show

Paintings do not make their way into an art gallery by chance. Instead, they are grouped together by artist, genre or subject matter, depending on the characteristics of the audience that will view the display. A basic knowledge of art historical periods and artists is helpful in selecting which pictures to group in a gallery.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Select an art gallery space in which to show the paintings. Remember, many engaging art exhibits have been in non-traditional spaces, such as medical office waiting rooms, office building lobbies and coffeehouses.

2. Identify the target audience for the art exhibit. The people most likely to see your show will help determine which pictures you choose to hang in the gallery.

3. Determine the subject or time period to be featured in the art gallery show. The subject could be as general as the work of a particular artist or paintings depicting a particular activity or place.

4. Pick the paintings to be displayed based on Steps 1, 2 and 3.

5. Hang the paintings in a logical order, keeping in mind the flow of traffic through the exhibit. Consider grouping similar or dissimilar paintings for contrast and comparison. Hang others in a sequence to show the progression of the artistic theme.

6. Place a general written introduction to the gallery exhibit at the entrance to the exhibit, and hang identification cards with individual paintings. Doing so will help your visitors understand the reason the paintings were chosen for display and how each painting relates to the others.

Tips & Warnings

• The time period in Step 1 should not be so broad that the art exhibit loses any sense of coherence. Often, a time period of one or two decades is better than a broader one.
• Consider unusual aspects of the paintings in your art exhibit, such as the medium in which the artists have worked or the overriding colors in each work of art.
• Remember your target audience in selecting the space for your art exhibit. Hang your paintings in a gallery or non-traditional space most likely to attract your target viewers.
• The gallery's niche market may dictate the choice of subject, because it might only show the work of one particular artist or one particular time period.

Resources

• Learn about the Witte Museum's art exhibit where everyday people choose the works on display.
• View an art gallery of paintings online.