ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND / WHY WE’RE DOING THIS

In May, the studio artists will be staging their final exhibition as part of Senior Seminar. However, just like being a professional artist outside of college, there are a number of steps that need to be taken in order to craft a successful show. During this semester, we will be tackling the preliminary stages of developing an exhibition — from ideation to final proposals and in-progress critiques. This process will give you an opportunity to practice the professional side of an exhibition in conjunction with experimenting artistically.

This process will demystify some of elements required for proposing and planning exhibitions, and will allow us to practice developing professional materials and practices that will help us plan for future opportunities.

OBJECTIVES

By the time we’re done with this project, we will be able to do the following:

1. Write exhibition proposals and letters of intent.
2. Organize materials for applications.
3. Talk about our work with our peers.
4. Develop a timeline for submitting applications and making work.

EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES

There are 3 possible spaces on campus for the display of your senior exhibition. Each space has its own benefits and limitations and requirements for submitting proposals. Keep in mind that the useable space for all three galleries is different, so one proposal may not work for all three.

Exhibition proposals can be submitted as single- or 2-person shows. However, keep in mind that sticking 2 artists into the same space does not necessarily make a great show; a 2-person proposal must be strong conceptually and the work must be linked in some way.

1. Corner Gallery : All students will be required to submit a proposal to the Corner Gallery. The Corner Gallery is located in McCuskey 116, the drawing studio. The gallery space was developed as an alternative space that allows for traditional and experimental exhibitions in all types of media. Similar to the Student Art League Gallery, this is an intimate alternative to the publicity and regimented structure of the Sleeth, and is perfect for students who may want to experiment with media such as performative or installation-based works.

• Requires the signing of a contract as outlined by the gallery director, including expectations for installation, de-installation and space limitations.
• The gallery is an open space. Access will be limited by scheduled classes in room 116 (a schedule can be found on the wall outside the doors), but will otherwise be accessible during building hours.
• The gallery does not provide marketing. Design and production of marketing materials including postcards, posters and Facebook events will be the sole responsibility of the exhibiting student.
• Submission Requirements : The following materials should be combined as a multi-page PDF and sent via email to mueller_e@wvwc.edu: letter of intent, exhibition proposal (no more than two pages, double-spaced), 5–10 images of representative work (or current work), image list, current résumé. Please include the text ‘Corner Gallery – Spring 20xx Student Exhibition Application’ in the subject of the email. We submit via email because that is currently the most common mode of applying for exhibitions in the professional world.
• See schedule for deadline.

2. Sleeth Gallery : The Sleeth Gallery is located on the first floor of McCuskey Hall, and has been the primary gallery space for the department since its move in the mid-90s from the English annex. This is a very public space, and is well suited for students who do not mind the extra challenges of working within a specific time frame and with a gallery director. In the Spring, there will be two, 1-week exhibitions available at the end of the semester and exhibitions will either be single or 2-person exhibitions.

• Gallery dimensions are 44’ 6” x 24’ and wall height is 8’ 4”. The east wall is split into three sections, a double door removes about 10’ of usable space on the north, and there must be a 2’ x 4’ desk for assistants located somewhere within the gallery. (See the separate floor plan for specifics.)
• Requires a professional contract, and exhibiting students will be required to repair all surfaces (including pedestals) upon completion of their show, or pay $60 / hour for the gallery to be repaired by gallery staff.
• Gallery hours will be limited depending on availability of staff or by appointment.
• The gallery does not provide marketing materials. However, exhibiting students will be required to follow the marketing standards set by the gallery, including website representation, postcard and poster layout and Facebook events. (All resources are available upon request.)
• Submission Requirements : Students interested in submitting a proposal to the Sleeth Gallery will be required to submit the following materials as a multi-page PDF via email to sleethgallery@wvwc.edu. Please include the text ‘Spring 20xx Student Exhibition Application’ in the subject of the email: letter of intent, exhibition proposal (no more than two pages, double-spaced), 5–10 images of representative work (or current work), image list, current résumé. We submit via email because that is currently the most common mode of applying for exhibitions in the professional world.
• • See schedule for deadline.

3. Student Art League Gallery : The Student Art League Gallery (SALG) is located in the basement of Wesley Chapel, below the main entrance facing the fountain. Originally named the Wesleyan Art Gallery, the space became the Ronald E. Sleeth Art Gallery in 1985 before becoming the Student Art League Gallery after the Sleeth moved to McCuskey. This space is very intimate, and is perfect for students who may not be interested in hosting large groups of individuals from the campus and surrounding community.

• The gallery is only available to members of the Student Art League. If you are interested in applying to the space, you will need to maintain active membership within the organization.
• While there is not an official gallery director, students exhibiting in the space will need to work directly with the Student Art League regarding gallery limitations, exhibition requirements and repairing the space.
• The gallery is open during the hours of the chapel, and is open to the public.
• The gallery does not provide marketing. Design and production of marketing materials including postcards, posters and Facebook events will be the sole responsibility of the exhibiting student.
• Submission Requirements : Students will need to contact the Student Art League for application requirements. See schedule for deadline.

GRADING : (16 points total)

The assignment will be graded on the following criteria:

• Corner Gallery letter of intent — 2 points
• Corner Gallery exhibition proposal (no more than two pages, double-spaced) — 4 points
• 5–10 images of representative work (or current work) — 3 points
• image list (includes title, year, media, dimensions for each image) — 3 points
• current résumé — 3 points
• Include the text ‘Corner Gallery – Spring 2013 Student Exhibition Application’ in the subject of the email. — 1 point

Applications for the Sleeth and SALG are entirely voluntary.

AUTOMATIC FAILURE

• You are missing required elements within your submission
• Your submission is received after the 5:00pm deadline
• You submit more elements that what are required
• You fail to customize your letter of intent (if applying to more than one gallery space)