I've been working at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio for two weeks now, and I've already learned so much. The past couple of weeks here have been weeks of transition, in which one show was taken down, preparations were made for the next exhibit, and finally, the newest show opened last night.
One thing that I was most excited about with this internship is learning about how an exhibit is designed and installed. A lot goes into exhibition installation even though the viewer may be aware of it only on a subconscious level. I was first exposed to this process earlier this week when several interns gathered to begin hanging the newest show in the gallery space. I learned the formulaic approach used to hang the art work at the appropriate level. It's not very difficult, but it's certainly more tedious than I expected.
My supervisor, Tim Parsley, also walked the interns through the curation process. He and Jason Franz, the Executive Director and Chief Curator, consider each space a whole so that the entire gallery is cohesive and well-designed. As I mentioned before, the viewer may not be aware of the reasons why each piece was placed where it was, but they may get an overall feeling of contentment with the layout or just the sense that it is "right."
For those of you who aren't familiar with Manifest, there are really three main aspects of it's mission. First, there is the gallery space that is known for quality presentation and display of artwork from around the corner to around the world. Second, there is the drawing center (Essex Studio) where drawing can be explored with guidance from professional instructors. Third, there is the press which documents Manifest's activities in high quality publications including exhibit catalogues and the International Drawing Annual. Manifest's purpose is to expose the community to the high quality works of art and to be a resource for students, teachers, artists, and the community.
The current exhibits on display are Magnitude 7, in which reach piece is less than 7 inches in size, and Guidebook, featuring contemporary works of collage and assemblage.
For more information about Manifest, visit www.manifestgallery.org
