How to Hang Pictures in an Art Gallery

Choosing how to display a product plays a big part in the success of any business marketing strategy. The same applies to a piece of visual art. There is no "right way" when choosing how or where to hang art in a gallery. Hanging art takes creativity, patience, experimentation and practice.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Use tracing paper to create a template of your picture. Arrange the templates on the walls using painter's tape to hold them in place. This gives you an idea of the size and spacing without damaging the wall's surface.

2. Hang the art so the center of the piece is at the eye level of an average-sized person. This means the center of the piece should be about 5 feet and 6 inches from the ground.

3. Alternate the size of pictures when hanging work on the same wall. Small pieces should be about half the size of the larger piece it precedes. This adds balance to your display.

4. Hang large pictures or groups of pictures alone on a small wall. Allow 3 to 5 feet in between a large piece and another picture on the same wall.

5. Think of several pieces of art as a single unit. With pictures that are the same size, keep the spacing constant. With images that are different sizes, align the bottoms of some frames with the tops of others or center some pieces on top of each other. Always keep the larger pieces toward the bottom.

6. Duplicate the rise of the staircase when hanging pictures in a stairwell. Images must be kept the same distance from one picture to the next.

7. Hang the center piece of art first. Use this as a reference point for all of the other pieces.

Tips & Warnings

• Use white mats when matting pictures as they emphasize the importance of the art.
• Use conservation quality materials when framing, matting and hanging work.
• Use picture hooks rather than nails.