GFS has been invited to hang art on a rotating basis at the Great Falls Library in both the large meeting room and the small conference room.
The exhibits in the small conference room are quarterly- Jan to March, April to June, July to September, Oct to December. Hanging the art in the library is on the first day of the month and pickup is on the last day of the month, according to the library's availability.
Scheduling Procedures and Best Practices
I. Scheduling
A. Transition Times for Taking Down and Installing Exhibits
Please note that the transition times to take down and install exhibits have been reserved according to the library’s availability, which is often limited. Also, please coordinate your arrival times so that the current exhibit is taken down in ample time for the next exhibitor to finish hanging his/her art within the reserved time slot.
If there is some reason that either of you cannot complete the transition on the reserved dates or times, please notify the library staff and reserve a new date and time when BOTH of you can complete the exhibit exchange within the same time frame. Please also advise the GFS member who oversees the exhibits for each room. For the large meeting room, contact the Great Falls Library infomation desk at 703-757-8560 and for the smaller conference room Safoura Haghighi (safouraha@gmail.com)
The library has been gracious in offering us the opportunity to exhibit, and since they have events frequently scheduled in these rooms, they want there to be art displayed consistently, as opposed to having bare walls and dangling wires greeting the guests who utilize these rooms. THANK YOU!!
B. Sharing or Canceling a Scheduled Exhibit
If you are re-thinking your commitment to exhibit because you are over-extended or will not have enough current masterpieces on hand to exhibit, and need find a substitute or someoneto share your assigned exhibit space, please let the GFS library exhibit scheduling facilitator know at least three weeks in advance so that she can contact other artists in enough time for them to prepare.
II. Best Practices
A. Installing Art
1. How many pieces and what sizes of art can be hung?
Large Meeting Room: Since you probably have a variety of sizes and shapes of art you wish to display, know that the large meeting room generally accommodates 28 to 30 medium framed works of art when hung side by side with enough open space between pieces so that the exhibit does not look cluttered. The distance between the upper and lower rail where the art work is hung will accommodate art that is up to 55” tall. (Note that chairs are regularly stack by the wall to the left as you enter the room, so it is best to hang pieces that do not extend to the chair rail on that wall. Please understand that there are also trolleys of chairs that can stack higher). The best advice is to go some weeks in advance to look at the previous exhibit and observe how the furniture is arranged.
Small Conference Room: The small conference room can accommodate approximately 12 framed medium-sized works. However, it is suggested you take a look at the wall space configuration before selecting which pieces to display, since the small conference room allows for a greater number of smaller works as well as larger ones to be hung. Also keep in mind that two or three smaller pieces can be hung vertically from one wire. Again, a visit at least three weeks in advance is advisable.
2. Where are the extra wires and hooks stored?In the kitchen, located off the large conference room, there is a storage box labeled “Exhibit Hanging Systems,” which is kept in the lower cabinet under the counter, to the right of the doorway. It contains the extra wires andhooks; along with copies of the library’s liability statement (“Display of Privately Owned Articles”), which you are to sign and turn into the circulation desk. If the kitchen door is locked,ask the person at the library circulation desk to help you. Please return all unused wires to the storage box. (No unused wires should be left hanging from the wall rails.) THANK YOU!
3. How high should the art be hung? As you decide at what level you wish to hang your art, please consider that your personal “eye -level” may be much higher or lower than the general public’s. Also, in the large conference room, against the wall on the left as you enter, is where the library stacks extra chairs, so you will want to hang your art well above the chairs so that when the chairs are retrieved, your art is not accidently damaged.
4. How is my art to be labeled? Please attach any labels to your frames (NOT to the wall!). For continuity, try to place each label in the same location on each work of art. On each label please include: your name; the title of the piece; and any other brief description to further identify the specific piece. (A template you may use is in a separate attachment.) Do NOT include any selling price information on the hang tag. Make a separate list of the art pieces and the sale prices and give one copy to the person at the centrally located information desk and place a second copy in the wall document holder in the conference or meeting room. (See # 5b. below)
5. Where do I post information about my background and studio, etc.? There are two locations:
a) As you enter the library, there is a bulletin board on the right side of the corridor leading to the meeting rooms. On it is a plastic holder for each of the two rooms to insert one 8 1/2” by 11” inch vertical fact sheet that summarizes the theme of your exhibit and any background and/or contact information you want to include.
b) In the large meeting room, on the right wall as you enter, there is a plastic holder to
place information sheets/business cards for guests to take with them.
In the small conference room, the holder is on the left side of the door leading into the
large meeting room. If you wish you may include on your information sheet the price of any of the works you have for sale. A second copy of this information sheet should be left at the information desk in the main library.
6. What is my obligation to the library when I sell a work of art? Any sale of art is strictly between you and the buyer. However, when you sell a work during the exhibit, GFS’s agreement with the library is that 10% of the selling price is given to “Friends of the Library” as a tax deductible donation. Make the check for the designated amount out to“Friends of the Great Falls Library,” with “GFS Artist” written on the memo line, and give it to the person at the library circulation desk or mail it directly to the Great Falls Library. This agreement is by the “honor system,” so no need to record any transactions through GFS. The Friends of the Library Board will notify the GFS liaisonto the Board concerning the GFS donations received.
7. What else should I be aware of when hanging my art?
a) Remember that your selections need to be family friendly and positive in nature.
b) Please hang your art so that no extra wire or parts of the hook are seen outside the perimeter of your art. You can use painters’ tape to secure any extra wire to the
back of your work (not to the wall), or to roll the wire up inconspicuously behind it.
c) If exhibiting in the large meeting room, avoid covering the key and switch to the
drop-down screen, which is on the far wall from the entrance.
B. Library Liability Form
After installing your exhibit and BEFORE YOU LEAVE, be sure to sign the library’s liability agreement form titled “Display of Privately Owned Articles” and return it to the person at the library circulation desk. The forms are kept in the “Wires and Hangers” storage container, which is located in the lower right-hand cabinet in the kitchen, off the large meeting room. (You also may ask for them at the circulation desk if they are not in the storage box.) The form states that the library is not responsible for any damage to your artwork during the exhibit. When you take down your exhibit please return and again sign the form noting you have taken back your artwork.
C. Exchanging Exhibited Art
If you need to remove a piece of art during your assigned exhibit time period, remember to replace it with another one, or re-arrange the remaining selections so that there is not an obvious blank spot on the wall, or a dangling wire. Please always be aware of the general first impression visitors have when they walk in the exhibit space. Also, when making reservations to re-arrange your exhibit, reserve the time needed in your own name (not GFS’s, please).
D. Scheduling Receptions
If you wish to have a reception at the library as an individual or with another artist, please make those reservations in your own name (not GFS’). You may make reservations on–line or in person at the library. Also, be aware that both rooms are used frequently, so it is highly recommended that you book your reception date two or three months in advance. (The library will take reservations up to three months prior to your event.) For your convenience, you may wish to reserve the small conference room to temporarily store any extra supplies or containers that you don’t want visible when you hold a reception in the large meeting room. The Library does not want items stored in the hallways outside the conference/meeting room doors during receptions.
If you would like to serve alcoholic beverages during your reception you must make arrangements for a liquor license through Fairfax County. (The GFS Exhibit Coordinator can send you a a copy of the form.)
E. Publicizing Your Exhibit
If you want to publicize your show in The Connection, you can send a press release and a jpg image of one of your pieces to Kemal Kurshahic at: kemal@connectionneewspapers.com. Use “press release” on the email’s subject line, and put your information in a Word document or simply copy/past it within the email. (They usually need copy by Wednesday for anything to be included in the paper the following week.)
You should also send a brief notice to Will Tuthill editor@greatfallsstudios.com for inclusion in the monthly GFS newsletter Visually Speaking. Include an image of one piece of work along with the exhibit title, dates of display, the medium(s) used and anything else relevant. Send this no later than the 24th of the month prior to your exhibit.
Another place to promote your exhibit is the Next Door site – both in the general area and in the closed Great Falls Studios group.
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Exhibiting at the Library is a great way to learn how to hang an exhibit. The rooms are in frequent use so your work will be seen by many more eyes than see it when you keep it hidden in a closet or basement of your home. We hope you enjoy this opportunity and take full advantage of it.
For the large meeting room, contact the Great Falls Library infomation desk at 703-757-8560
GFS coordinator for the small conference room is Safoura Haghigi safouraha@gmail.com