The Passion and Process of Installation
My first memory of a museum was visiting the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on a lunch break with my mom. During long summers, bored to tears in my mother's cramped cubicle, museums and the art they housed became an escape from the boredom of life, a wonderland. As I grew older, I began to learn about and appreciate the educational, cultural, and social impacts that museums have on communities. The Kennedy Museum of Art and the O.U. Museum Studies Certificate Program gave me the opportunity to become the designer of my own wonderland by collaborating on and installing exhibitions.
Every exhibition begins with an idea, a story or theme to the works that will be on display. Some of the exhibits that I've had a hand in installing focused on specific artists, collections, cultural traditions and beliefs, and even the museum acquisition process itself. Once a main idea is agreed upon, items are curated to contribute to the story, either from the collection or to be loaned from other museums.
Once all of the items are gathered and accounted for, installation can begin. Sometimes, a detailed plan is created that describes exactly where and how to place objects and artworks. Other times, items are brought up to the gallery space and placed at the discretion of the artist, curator, or preparator like myself. Deciding where to display artworks on the spot is harder than it looks, especially because there are numerous other things to keep in mind aside from which paintings look good together. I had to arrange not only artworks, but label placement, larger informational texts, and also to coordinate the layout with planned educational activities and accessibility. Additionally, there are standards and best practices regarding how to display items so that they are both accessible and protected.
My favorite part of the installation is looking up at my completed wonderland. I never knew how much time and energy went into turning a seed of an idea into a fully realized exhibition. Thanks to my time at the Kennedy Museum of Art, I have more knowledge, experience, and passion for gallery installation and art curation. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life designing wonderlands.