This a review on the exhibition design of "Ink and Clay 42" at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona's gallery located in Pomona, California.
Installation of Ink and Clay 42
Galleries are there to provide a space where art can be displayed. The flow and layout of the gallery help the attendants to get the work the artist gives to flow as well. The lighting helps to create an ambiance that applies to the work and can create a pathway for visitors to follow if necessary. Another aspect that can help the flow of a gallery is the use of color as well as how the labels are shown and how the works are installed. Hospitality from the gallery is giving off the first impression that a visitor will have so creating an inviting environment is key. These aspects that create a flow that works with the artwork and the gallery itself are applied to Cal Poly Pomona’s gallery.
The first step into the gallery at Cal Poly Pomona you are walking right into the gallery space. There are three rooms, one to the left, one to the right, and one straight ahead that opens up to the right. The general flow of the gallery is great because it lets the visitors move freely from the back to the front as well as side to side. Having a neutral background color like white helps for viewers to focus on the artworks and not the color of the wall. White walls help for the art to speak for itself but in some cases it might need a little color to help tell its story. With the help of lighting a work can have a different kind of story. The lighting in the Cal Poly Pomona gallery was a little too bright for my liking in the front two rooms and it was perfect for the room in the back. The lighting seemed like it was too bright on the ceramic pieces when I thought it should have had a subtler approach to it.
Labelling a work is a key aspect because it lets the visitor know who created it as well as what type of media was used in it. Labels should help the visitor but not distract the visitor. The labeling at the Ink and Clay 42 show did help with giving the information but it also kept my attention away from the work a little longer than I would have liked because it also had an informational writing about the artist right next to it. It was a nice addition but it took more time than I would like just to read about a general bit of biography. Overall the labeling was neat and clean as well as the installation of the pieces. Some pieces of art were interesting to find out how they were installed. The installation of each piece was perfect to me and I don’t think that there would have been anything I would have changed about that.
Having superb hospitality is what helps with getting people excited about what they are about to witness. I think that this gallery could approve on their hospitality because the hosts desk was hidden around the corner and you can not see them until you’ve already been introduced to some work. If they had a better place for their host to be stationed it will help with the greeting of guests and overall attitude of the visit. Also when students arrived in the gallery they had to leave their stuff by the front door and around to the host desk but there were so many people at the time of our visit that some of the backpacks seemed to be getting quite close to some works. They should have a designated place outside the gallery for guests with over-sized bags so no works get damaged during the visit.
Other than improving in their hospitality and how they approach their visitors as well as adjusting the lighting levels on certain works there isn’t much that I would change about the gallery at Cal Poly Pomona. The experience was great to see such a show and a gallery that can accommodate the size of show so easily.