Hanging the Atrium Gallery show

On Thursday Michele Meredith and I spent almost six hours hanging 32 of my Cityscapes at the Atrium Gallery. When people ask, "How much time did you spend making this?" does anyone remember the time spent securing and promoting shows, plus wrapping, transporting, and hanging the work?

The Atrium Gallery has several nice features. There are four double-sided, moveable panels which can be positioned to add interest and wall space, and two glass walls that allow passersby an enticing peek inside the "shoe box".

The lighting is good, and can be positioned precisely. The facility is busy, with extended hours and good security. And the administrator of the space, Penelope Kokkinos, is very helpful, providing translations of material, labels, and advice.












I like the way we were able to arrange a wall of small pieces.  This is how I like to hang smaller works at home.












Two of the 10" x 12"s went into a display case outside the gallery door.

I started working in this size because of the 12 by the dozen challenges.








We were able to group works with more subtle palettes together, so they weren't overwhelmed by those with bolder colours. Here my most recent work, Rue de Buade #1, is centred between two older pieces, Montmartre #2 and Montmartre #3, looking very happy with each other.

These two bold and bright pieces work well together too, catching the attention of the passerby.














I'm glad I thought to make a fourth 24" x 24" for the show. The four large, square works are hung back-to-back on the panels facing a glass wall.

I took a workshop at the SAQA conference in Santa Fe with Pat Pauley, on the subject of hanging shows. She advised establishing a sightline of, say, 60" above the floor, with all pieces centred on that line, and I find that allows for a smooth transition between various sizes and formats.

Camden Town #2, with its bold yellow palette, is placed near the entrance, to attract the viewer. I have used it on my business cards and as the banner for my website, so it's become something of a trademark.

Cityscapes: Collages in Cloth and Stitch runs until October 22, at the Atrium Gallery, 101 Centrepointe Drive, in Ottawa. Hours are
Monday - Thursday, 8:30 am - 9 pm
Friday, 8:30 am - 6 pm
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm and Sunday 1 - 5 pm.

Please remember to sign the guest book if you have a chance to drop in!