Once you’ve hung artwork for an exhibition, how are you going to pass on the details of the works to visitors? There are several different options for labeling your work in this setting, though each should let visitors know:
- The artist’s name
- The title of the work
- The medium of the work
- The size of the work
- The price of the work (if applicable)
Here is an example:
Vincent van Gogh
The Starry Night, 1889
Oil on canvas
73.7 cm × 92.1 cm (29 in × 36¼ in)
Below are some options for professionally labeling your artworks in an exhibition setting.
Vinyl
Often galleries and museums will use vinyl to display an artist’s name and / or the title of the show near the entryway. Next time you visit an institution, have a look. Custom-cut vinyl lettering is easily removable and will not damage walls. You can see an example of what vinyl-lettering on a wall looks like here and here.
Since vinyl lettering can be cut very small, you can adhere the information for each piece directly beside each artwork.
Using a font that is 12pts or less would generally suit this purpose. You can talk to vinyl cutters to discuss options for sizing, colours, and fonts. A couple of vinyl cutters in Vancouver include:
Map
Making a map of the gallery is a good option if you want to keep the walls around your work entirely clear of other information or distractions. Using a floor plan of the gallery, number your works and provide a corresponding list.
Adhesive labels
If you do not want to go to the expense of having custom vinyl cut for labels, you can use traditional printer labels to display your information. Some people stick these directly onto the wall, but unless the wall is perfectly flat and smooth, this usually looks a bit unprofessional. You can instead stick your labels onto mat board or foamcore, then using a ruler and ex-acto knife cut the edges away so that the label is flush with the mount.
Thank you. This was very helpful and timely as I am having an exhibition in June.
how ur posts are showing continue reading feature in home page ?? my doent shws tht way?
Omair,
I’m not totally sure… mine is this way by default. It might be an option you can choose when composing a post: when you are editing or writing a post, there should be a menu on the side that lists post formats. Mine defaults to “standard.” Hope that helps. Otherwise, you can try emailing the folks at WordPress. They are very helpful!
thanks indeed
Thanks a lot.
This was very helpful. My students are having an exhibition tomorrow and we used your website as a reference.
Congrats from a fellow Vancouverite.
Aweome! This took me way too long to find. I couldn’t figure out what the labels were called! I kept searching for Art ID cards.
Clear Shipping Labels work well. Avery supplies a template. Use a word program.
and print it. When you stick it on the wall just the words show up. Cheap but professional looking
Thanx Tim!! Brilliant idea!!
Help! But what do you call it?
Technical specifications?
Magnificent site. Lots of helpful info here. I am sending it to several pals ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thank you on your effort!
Superb post and the information given in this blog is really good.
Would one include the brand of paper used in the tag? For example, would one say “Watercolor on Watercolor Paper” or “Watercolor on Strathmore Paper” or something else? Thanks!
Hi Charlie,
It’s up to you… most people would just say “watercolour on paper,” though you can always specify the brand if you would like to let your clients know that you have used archival materials.
Thanks for your quick reply! You just made my job easier
We have a lot of art, and everyone want to know details, and I can never remember all of the names, details, etc. I don’t want to put something permanent on the walls. Does anyone have a suggestion?
How would you label a piece which is a series of 4 works all of the same size? Would it be e.g. “27×27 cm x 4″ or the total surface area of the series on the wall?
Hi Vikki,
It’s your choice, but in the interest of clarity, you could say:
each 27 x 27 cm
and / or something like:
installation 27 x 112 cm