How to put on a School Art ExhibitionAims and objectives:•To share best practice with staging an art exhibition.•To provide visual tips for lay-out, show-casing and presentation of different forms of art•To identify a clear rationale for turning the exam board requirements into an opportunity for a whole school arts event.•To share practical resources to be used by arts teachers in other schools

School Art Exhibitions – creating the look and feel of a professional exhibition in a school setting Rationale In the past art teachers would spend hours displaying students art work so that the exam board moderator could verify teacher assessment. At Clapton Girls’ Academy we turn this exam board requirement into a rich opportunity to showcase the work of our GCSE and A’ Level art students by staging an art exhibition the evening before the moderation day. The main reasons for doing this are:

To celebrate and recognise the achievements of our art students and raise achievementTo welcome parents, governors and the community into the academy To prepare for exam moderationTo inspire Year 10 and KS3 students, model expectations and recruit to KS4 and KS5 coursesTo promote the work of the academy

School Art Exhibitions – creating the look and feel of a professional exhibition in a school setting

Who was involved?Head of Art at Clapton Girls’ Academy, Jonathan Purday, and Art technician, Jonathan Pinn, worked together with students to create a professional exhibition of GCSE and A Level art in 2014. The two art classrooms and school corridor were transformed into a beautiful gallery space using presentation techniques that mirrored professional exhibitions.The exhibition provided an opportunity for students, parents, teachers and governors to view the inspiring and thought provoking pieces of art produced by over 90 GCSE and A’ level art students and ensured the examiner was provided with a clear view of the work for moderation. The academy has been staging an art exhibition for several years now ; the DfE Cultural Education project provided us with an opportunity to document this practice in a way that we hope will be helpful to other schools.

Clapton Girls’ Academy GCSE Art Exhibition 2014

School Art Exhibitions – creating the look and feel of a professional exhibition in a school setting

Organisational considerations•Planning•Rooms•Teaching •Communication•Managing the event itself•Setting up the exhibition – technical and artistic tips•The role of the school art technician

Considerations Explanation Who When

Planning Include in Department Improvement Plan Allocate budget to cover resources costs ( table cloths, plinths, frames, invitation and refreshment costs)Request exam board moderation date and then include dates for exhibition in school calendar

Head of Art September

Rooms Identify suitable rooms / corridors / foyers and consider impact on smooth running of teaching and school life

Head of ArtLeadership Team

December

Teaching Art exhibitions are often set up in art teaching rooms. This mean re-rooming timetabled art lessons for up to three days ( one day for set-up, one day for the exhibition and one day for moderation visit). Plan for teaching in non-specialist rooms in order to ensure high quality learning is maintained

Head of Art July

Communication Invite parents, governors and community via postcards ( see following slides) Head of Art February

Setting up the exhibition

Art technician role is valuable here as it allows art teachers to continue with teaching and learning .

Art technician

April / May

Managing the event

Consider how visitors will enter and exit the school – have staff, student prefects and ambassadors acting as exhibition guides , set up simple refreshments and an exhibition guide

Head of Art, Art technician

April/May

Exhibition item Cost

Fabrics ( reusable each year) £100

Plinths ( reusable each year) £100

A6 invitations (printed professionally through Vistaprint and on Matte Photo paper for A level (individual students receive 50 invites with one of their own images on the card

£90

Frames £75

Refreshments £30

Display boards (including specific installation booths) £50

Total £445

Technical and artistic tips

The aims and objectives for any exhibition are always different howevercurating is always important to ensure that the way a work is presentedgets maximum impact from the viewer. The following are examples ofstudent work and how they were installed within each specific show.

Technical and artistic tips

An example of stacked “salon style”

Salon styleWhen there are a largenumber of pieces of work to be installed you could use“salon style.” You could then consider off-setting the cluttered wall space with as much empty floor space as possible.

Painting

Painting is a physical object like anything else and can sit between painting and sculpture.Don’t be afraid to give a work lots of space if it needs it!

Yr 1

1

Yr 12

Yr 12

Yr 13

The slide on the left showsA latex sculpture hung fromA suspended ceiling unit inOrder to catch sunlight as shown

Sculpture

As well as being looked at, sculpture can be experienced.

Yr 11 animatronic sculptureCare was taking to angle the lighting from the top to bestIlluminate this sculpture. The hidden casing for the motorand battery pack the students own set up

Yr 12 “Survival dwelling” – canvas, clay slip, branches, turf, paper,metal, ipod and headphonesThis student brought in her own turf, ipod, signageand instruction to complete her sculpture.

Consider if the height, lightingand use of plinth are sym

patheticto the w

ork(s)

Installations are often tricky to integrate into an exhibition. Often their location is fixed in advance and a show often has to “hang” around them.

The table above was shown in a darkSpace with directional lighting

Booths for video works

Usually a special booth or separate viewing space needs to be constructed within the exhibition space, using aplinth built to house a digital projector and laptop.Entrance is usually black hanging fabric. Images can also be projected onto fabric as shown here.

A whiteboard in a classroom can also be emptied to displayvideo art, or a small side-room. Care needs to be takenin removing as much furniture including chairs to transformit into a more “pure” viewing space.

Feedback“The most amazing KS5 exhibition I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen five in London this year so far.” parent governor

“You did all this in a classroom?” parent

“It was a fantastic showcase and celebration of the students work” teacher

“It looked really professional.” student

“It was interesting to have a video room this year. It attracted a lot of attention! Art technician

“All the hard work we’ve put into our studies was showed off properly.” student

Clapton Girls’ Technology College is a multi-ethnic 11-19 girls Academy rich in cultural and linguistic heritage. The Academy operates within a clearly stated and broad-based equal opportunities policy which emphasises a positive education for girls and members of all communities. This is a term time only, post and the postholder will be to take their annual leave entitlement during the academy holidays. The postholder will work a 25 hour week and the hours of work will be 8am to 1:30pm Monday and Tuesday and 10:30am- 4:00pm from Wednesday - Friday with a 30 minute lunch break. It is expected that the postholder will carry out her/his responsibilities within this framework. Job descriptions are subject to review and amendment.

ART TECHNICIANART TECHNICIAN FUNCTION OF THE POSTFUNCTION OF THE POST

The provision of a Support Technician Service to the Art Faculty, through the Head of Art.

  To be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of

children and young people and follow the safeguarding policy.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. To prepare classroom exemplar materials and resources, and set up equipment for use in lessons.

2. To ensure the retrieval and clearing away of materials in line with procedures.

3. To ensure the general maintenance and cleaning of equipment and basic maintenance of general facilities.

4. To report any equipment faults to the Line Manager and ensure appropriate action is taken.

5. To participate in the organisation and storage of equipment and materials as directed by the Line Manager. 

6. To create catalogue systems i.e. for images and books. 

7. To assist with Art classroom and whole school display work as required. 

8. To assist with the preparation of rooms, data and materials for art examinations and exhibitions.

9. To organise material and resources.

10. To assist in the running and maintenance of Photographic equipment including a darkroom

Dear Parent(s)/Person(s) with Parental Responsibility, GCSE exhibition Wednesday 21st May 5-6pm As you will be aware, your daughter will be concluding her GCSE Art course next Monday 19th May. To celebrate their achievements, we will be holding an exhibition of their work in Rosa Parks next Wednesday after School. The event will be held between 5pm and 6pm. You will have already received an invitation card from your daughter for this event. In order to help with the flow of visitors to and from the event I am asking your permission for your daughter to help in this respect. I would ask you to complete the attached reply slip if you are happy for daughter to help at the event. I very much look forward to seeing you at the event on Wednesday. Yours sincerely Ms C. T. DayHead teacher ___________________________________________________________________________________ To Mr. Purday: Name of Student ________________________________________Form _______________________ I give permission for my daughter to help at the GCSE exhibition on Wednesday 21st May between 5pm and 6pm.  Signed ___________________________ (Parent/Carer) Date ________________