Hamilton Gallery Day handout2016.pdfHistory of Hamilton Gallery Hamilton Gallery was established in...

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EDUCATION

Hamilton Gallery

Inside the Gallery:Art industry contextsVCE Studio Arts

Inside the workroom, Hamilton Gallery

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Characteristics of Art SpacesThere are a number of different art museum and gallery types in Australia. They tend to fall in the following categories:• public museums and galleries,• private museums and collections,• commercial galleries,• artist-run initiatives (ARIs) and;• alternative spaces.

Public Art Galleries of Art Museums“A public art museum is an art museum, gallery or art space that is owned by or on behalf of the public.” - Public Galleries Association of Victoria

Art Galleries aim to elevate the knowledge of the general public through the arts by collecting, preserving, researching and exhibiting art works.

A public gallery or art museum:•isaninstitutionthatisownedby,oronbehalfofthepublic•isaproperlyandlegallyconstitutedartsfacility•isprofessionallyandpermanentlystaffed•isanot-for-profitorganisationandwhoreinvestsprofitsfromcommercialactivitiesbackintoits operational costs•meetsaclearandidentifiedneedwithinitscommunity•receivesthemajorityofitsfundingforadministrativeandoperationalpurposesfromgovernment, or from a public body such as a university

In some countries the word ‘museum’ distinguishes a collecting institution from a gallery that only displays artworks, but in Australia the two words are frequently interchanged.

Private Museums & CollectionsOther spaces in which art is shown include private and corporate collections. Art is shown in hotel foyers, banks, boardrooms and corporate offices. Companies that invest in contemporary artdosotoprojectanimageofbeingprogressive,dynamicmarketleaderstoattractthebeststaff and clients. The Sofitel Melbourne collects artworks and presents a series of temporary exhibitions of design, craft, photography, painting and drawing that change on a regular basis throughout the year. Larger corporate collections are curated and managed by art consultants or collection managers. Artworks in corporate collections are frequently drawn upon by museums to be included in public exhibitions.

Corporate and private collectors may have purchased art directly from a commercial gallery or an artist-run space. Other places where they may have purchased art include auction houses or art dealers.

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Commercial GalleriesCommercialgalleriesareprivatebusinessesthatoperatetomakeaprofitorprovideanincome for their owners and the artists they represent. Commercial Gallerists act as agents for the artists they represent. They provide exhibition space for their artists to promote and sell artworks in addition to holding stock in their back rooms to show potential buyers. They also act as spokes people to represent the commercial interests of their artists by providing information to public galleries and museums that may wish to exhibit or reproduce works by those artists.

Commercial galleries generate income by taking a percentage of the sales. This commission varies from gallery to gallery and tends to be between 15 to 40 per cent. A good commercial gallery will strive to ensure that their artists are marketed well and that their work comes to the attentionoflargercollectinginstitutionsandsignificantcommissions.

Commercial galleries do not receive public funding for their day-to-day activities. Their artists may be supported by grants, such as those offered by the Australia Council or Creative Victoria.

Artist-run Initiatives (ARIs)Artist-run Initiatives are art spaces that are run in the style of a co-operative and funded by itsmembers.Theyarecommonlythefirstplacethatartschoolgraduatesgettoshowtheirwork. Many ARIs are established by student groups as they move out of formal education and want to maintain relationships and incentives to continue their art practice in a supported way. The artists involved create the rules of the space. Some groups formalise their agreements by becomingIncorporatedAssociationsorNot-for-profits,whichallowsthemtoqualifytoapplyfor government grants to support the expenses incurred related to the running of their art spaces.

Sometimes the intention of avant-garde or cutting edge artists is to simply create a space to display their work and they do not expect buyers. This allows the artist’s complete control of the work they make as it is not influenced by the needs of a commercial market. These spaces give artists direct control over the means and conditions of presenting their work to the public. Often the exhibiting artist staffs the gallery while their show is open.

Volunteers can be relied upon to watch the gallery space during opening hours. Due to the transitory nature of the participants and expenses required to upkeep an ARI they are sometimes short lived.

Virtual or Online GalleriesOpportunities for showing art online have increased greatly in recent years, and the environment is constantly changing. Artists at any level of experience, from any location around the world, can now post their artworks online – this has democratised the exhibition and sales process. Digital artists may use the online environment as their display medium of choice. It is also very easy to establish systems for payment in order to sell artworks.

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People are becoming used to buying things online and use services such as Pay Pal to exchange goods and services.

Commercialgalleriesarefindingthattheircustomerdatabasesareincreasingaspeoplefromallover the world have access to their collections and the artists they represent. Gallery Directors provide other information, such as CVs, artist biographies, critical essays and low-res examples of their artists work.

Large museums have ‘virtual galleries’, in their collections have been digitised so visitors and researchers may view artworks online, many in great detail, allowing for close inspection of artworks, that show how artworks have aged, such as cracks in old paint.

Alternative Art SpacesManyartistsfindthattoapproachalocalcafeandasktohangyourworksinitisagoodwaytoraiseyourartsprofile.Cafeownersareoftenquitehappytohaveworksondisplayintheircafes. Many don’t charge a fee and direct enquiries directly to the artist. Some cafes have very organised systems in place with formal agreements to ensure that the obligations and expectations of each party are clearly set out. A cafe may also attract more customers who may not usually go to an art gallery but might like to purchase original works of art. Some offices also allow artists to hang work to brighten up the working environment.

Some artists choose to make their artwork freely available to all by painting murals, paste-ups and other arts interventions in the public domain. Melbourne’s laneways have become a tourism attraction for people visiting Melbourne. The City of Melbourne has developed a Graffiti Management Plan to determine which street art is legitimate and which is undesirable. Citylights is a program supported by the Council to promote ‘good’ street art and capitalise on tourism and the capacity of street art to create a vibrant, colourful and interesting urban environment. Artists keep painting over street art, creating a changing streetscape of images.

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For a current and complete listing of exhibitions and galleries refer to the following publications:

Art Almanac www.art-almanac.com.auArt guide www.artguide.com.au

PUBLIC FUNDED AGENCIESFederal MuseumsNational Gallery of Australia www.nga.gov.auNational Portrait Gallery www.portrait.gov.auArtbank www.artbank.gov.au

State MuseumsNational Gallery of Victoria www.ngv.vic.gov.auAustralian Centre for the Moving Image www.acmi.net.auMuseum of Contemporary Art www.mca.com.au

State GalleriesAustralian Centre for Contemporary Art www.accaonline.org.auCentre for Contemporary Photography www.ccp.org.au

Regional Galleries / MuseumsHamilton Art Gallerywww.hamiltongallery.orgBendigo Art Gallery www.bendigoartgallery.com.auShepparton Art Museumwww.sheppartonartmuseum.com.au

Municipal Galleries / MuseumsWalker Street Gallery www.walkerstgallery.com.auMaroondah Art Gallery www.artsinmaroondah.com.au

University Art MuseumsThe Ian Potter Museum of Art www.art-museum.unimelb.edu.auMonash University Museum of Art www.monash.edu.au/muma

ARTIST-RUN INITIATIVES

Incorporated AssociationsWest Space www.westspace.org.au

Artist Co-ops The Dolls House www.thedollshouse.com.auCitylights Projectswww.citylightsprojects.com

ALTERNATE SPACESCraft and Design centresCraft Victoria www.craft.org.au

Art Fairs Melbourne Art Fair www.melbourneartfair.com.au

COMMERCIAL / PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

Galleries Anna Schwartz Gallery www.annaschwartzgallery.comLesley Kehoe Galleries www.kehoe.com.au

Collections Lyon House museum www.housemuseum.com.au

Virtual Galleries (not curated)Art.base http://art.base.co/Ghostpatrol http://ghostpatrol.net

Auction Houses Deutscher and Hackett www.deutscherandhackett.comMenzies Art Brands www.menziesartbrands.com

Art Dealers Gould Galleries http://new.gouldgalleries.comCharles Nodrum Gallery www.charlesnodrumgallery.com.au

Consultants JBM Art Consultancy www.jbmart.com.auBrecknock Consulting www.brecknockconsulting.com.au

More information about galleries and museums?

Museums Australiawww.museumsaustralia.org.au

Public Galleries Association of Victoria (PGAV)www.pgav.org.au

Australian Commercial Galleries Associationwww.acga.com.au

Australia Council for the Artswww.australiacouncil.gov.au

Creative Victoriawww.creative.vic.gov.au

Regional Arts Victoriawww.rav.net.au

Examples of Art Spaces

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Hamilton Gallery: Case StudyAsapublicartgallery,HamiltonGalleryfulfilsallofthedefinitionsforapublicmuseum/gallery.TheGalleryisanot-for-profitentityformedin1961.TheGallery’sincomeisderivedfromarangeofsourcesincludingstateandlocalgovernment.Anyprofitsmadefromsalesinthe Gallery’s store and catalogue sales are invested back into the organisation to support and extend the gallery’s capacity to deliver high quality programs.

MissionTo drive the visitor economy and cultural development in the Greater Hamilton region by providing an inspiring, educational and thought-provoking experience of modern and contemporary art, public art and cultural history.

Guiding PrincipalArts, culture and heritage are crucial to the region’s development socially, culturally, environmentally and economically

Values• Creativity,innovation,accessandengagement• Creativityinartisticprogramming,audienceengagementandpromotionoftheGallery.• Sustainabilityofcultural,financialandenvironmentaloperations.• Integrityingovernance,leadershipandGallerymanagement.

History of Hamilton GalleryHamiltonGallerywasestablishedin1961followingalargebequestofacollectionofartworkslefttotheCityofHamiltonbyHerbertShaw(1882-1957).Thisgenerousbequestof781itemsreflects the collecting interests of Herbert and his wife May who lived at ‘Kiama’, a homestead nearHamilton.TheShawBequestconsistedmainlyof18thand19thcenturyEnglishandEuropean decorative arts and was the beginnings of Hamilton’s collection.

Since1961Hamilton’scollectionhasgrowntoover8000objectsandnowincludessilver,porcelainandglassfrom1700onwards,acollectionof18thcenturylandscapesbyPaulSandby,Asianceramicsfromthemajordynasties,EuropeanandAustralianprints,Australianoilpaintingsandwatercoloursandfineinternationalexamplesof20thcenturydecorativearts.TheGallery’s collection continues to expand with the purchase of new acquisitions every year.

The Gallery actively collects Australian art, works on paper and contemporary decorative arts.HamiltonArtGallerypresentsahighqualityprogramthatfeaturessomeofthefinestexhibitions touring Australia, exhibitions from the vast permanent collection and work by local artists.

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Professional Roles within the GalleryStaffmembersatHamiltonGalleryworkverycloselytogethertofulfilthevariousfunctionsofapublic art gallery – to acquire, care for and conserve works of art, to develop varied exhibitions from the collection and other sources, to present education and public programs, to care for the building, to market and promote all its programs, and to attract funding and sponsorship and develop partnerships to support all these activities.

Although each staff member is assigned different responsibilities, gallery work is collaborative and their roles often overlap.

CuratorThe role of the curator will vary depending on the size of the institution. The NGV for example listsastaffof27curatorsover10specialistdisciplines.Theseinclude:Asianart,Australianart,Contemporary, Design and Architecture, Decorative arts, Fashion and Textiles, Indigenous art, International art, Photography and Prints and Drawings.

Smaller galleries, for example Hamilton Gallery, rely on one curator to cover the entire collection. Their role is often assisted by other staff members and/or volunteers.

A commercial gallery may not have a curator, but the director may have curatorial experience and expertise.

The role of the curator:• Researching and interpreting artworks for collection, exhibition and publication• Conceptualising, planning, managing and presenting exhibitions• Writing texts on exhibitions, artworks and artists, from labels to wall texts to interpretive

essays• Investigating and preparing acquisition proposals• Delivering floor talks and occasional lectures• Contributing to the development of exhibition program and collection policies• Handling artworks in accordance with appropriate conservation practices and working

collaboratively with the Exhibition Officer• Liaising with the Promotions Officer (marketing) and Education and Public Programs staff to

promote exhibitions.

Curatorial selectionCurators in art galleries usually have a background in art history or art practice or both. Their work involves extensive research – which includes visiting artist studios, researching in libraries and looking at other exhibitions – out of which they identify new ways to interpret artworks ordevelopspecificconnectionsbetweenart,ideas,historyandculture.Exhibitionsareusuallydrawn from a variety of sources including artists, public and private collections. Curators also work on developing and managing collections.

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Exhibitions can explore a variety of ideas, and are intended to provide insight into art and its various contexts.

For example:• The development of an artist’s work and the interrelationship between different works (a

solo exhibition, such as Jacqui Stockdale)• The relationship between works by different artists• How artworks relate to particular cultures, histories and ideas (a thematic exhibition)• The nature and use of a particular medium (a sculpture or video exhibition, for example)• The art of a particular individual, group of artists, or artistic style • The art of a particular time and/or place • The relationship of art to other visual practices such as craft, design, architecture • Howartistsinterpretorpresentaparticularsubjectortheme(suchasCubism&Australian

Art)

Acurator’sjobistoconveytheseideasclearlytothegeneralpublic–throughputtingworkstogether in meaningful ways, writing interpretive texts (exhibition catalogues, wall-texts, extending labels, brochures) to provide various additional levels of information, and speaking about the exhibition.

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Selection and display of exhibitionsMost exhibitions have a theme. In selecting a theme for an exhibition the gallery or the curator considers the following:• Intended audience• Objectsinthegallery’spermanentcollectionthatcanbeincluded• Possibility of loaning relevant artworks from other art institutions• Interest within the broader community for such an exhibition• Exhibition’s ability to develop and communicate new ideas, interpretations or information• Availability of guest consultants, curators and writers who are specialists in the area to assist

with various components of the exhibition• Ability of the venue to present the exhibition i.e. staff, facilities, equipment and space (both

for storage and display) are adequate

Display of artworksExhibitions are either generated in-house or come from another gallery as a travelling exhibition. When they are generated in-house they need a curator to provide the intellectual concept of the exhibition and to select the works to be included; an Exhibition Designer to work out how the works are to be displayed and Installation Staff to actually put the works in place.

Hamilton Gallery presents exhibitions from its permanent collection ranging from historical to contemporary, local, Australian and international, in a wide range of media including decorative arts (silver, porcelain, glass, Asian ceramics and artefacts), paintings, watercolours, prints, photographs and tapestries. Hamilton also hosts travelling exhibitions.

Installation and presentation of exhibitionsFactors that contribute to the way an exhibition is laid out include:• the amount of wall/display case space available• thesizeoftheartworkstobedisplayed–smallorfragileobjectsareexhibitedindisplay

cases• the narrative or story line of the exhibition• the ideas/concepts you wish to communicate• the artworks you select as focal points• the context you wish to give art works• the medium being exhibited

The gallery generates identifying labels for works in-house to a set format. The amount of information on labels varies according to the exhibition. If a catalogue is not available for an exhibition, then extended labels and wall texts may be used.

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Label text:

Gwyn Hanssen PigottAustralia(b.1935)

STILL LIFE – SENTINEL 2011wood-firedporcelainValerie Sheldon Bequest2012.518a-d

Extended label text:

Paul Sandby England (1731-1809)

A SCENE IN WINDSOR FOREST, 1801Gouache and wash PurchasedwiththeassistanceofaspecialgrantfromtheGovernmentofVictoria19711132

Windsor Forest, at the foot of Windsor Castle, was one of Sandby’s favourite themes. Indeed, he developed a speciality in landscapes prominently featuring gnarled and convoluted trees. With its free and atmospheric approach, this work is typical of his late period. The rich autumnal colouring and impressive attention to detail recall the landscapes ofthe17thcenturyDutchSchool.Thisistheartist’slargestrecordedwork.

Design Elements

Layout• Layout is a key aspect when developing an exhibition.• Sowecandeterminewhethertheexhibitioncanfitthespace.• Itgivesusanyunderstandingofwhatobjectsshouldbeselected.• If labels or information panels need to be made.• Whetherdisplaycaseswillfitcomfortablyinthespace.• Some key points are room dimensions, entry and exits points, traffic flow, removable and

immovableobjects.

Display• Displayishowyouhighlighttheexhibitionstorythroughrelationshipsbetweenobjects

and graphics.• Somekeypointofdisplayaredistance,height,space,anobjectsbalance,contrastand

theme.

« Artist Name« Country (birth/death dates)

« TITLE OF WORK Year of work« medium « Credit line« Acquisition number

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Colour• A change in colour promotes movement and entices visitors along the path of progression.• It also makes people curious and is a good way to transition between exhibitions and

spaces.• Can enhance some artworks.

Sound• Can be used as a device for sending information to visitors.• It can enrich the display and the learning experience.

Flow• Flow is the way the public move through an exhibition.• The main types of traffic flow are structured, unstructured and suggested.

Light• Light enhances the visual experience.• Itdrawsaviewer’sattentiontocertainobjects.• Sometimes an exhibition comes with set lighting requirements.

Display Considerations

Height• In the design process one of the main rules that we have is that artworks need to be

positioned at eye level for viewing.• The average height for viewing is 1.55m or 5 feet 1 inch and needs to be level with the

middle of the artwork.• This is so the viewer can take in the whole artwork.• If it is either too high or low then your eyes tend to cut the top or bottom of the work off,

especially with larger works.

Space• Allobjectsshouldbespacedevenly.• If they are part of a group of works then they may need to be spaced closer together.• Itcomesdowntousingyourbestaestheticjudgment.

Balance• Italldependsonwhentheobjectwasmade,thestyle,medium,artist,sizeandwhetherit

ispartofthegrouporsetofobjects.• Generalitboilsdowntoyouusingyourbestaestheticjudgment,someobjectssimplylook

better singularly while others need to be put into a group.

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Marketing and PromotionItisacommonbeliefthatmarketingisjustadvertisingorsales.However,marketingiseverything an organisation does to acquire customers and maintain a relationship with them. It is about connecting the right product, with the right audience at the right time to ensure profitability.

Marketing in the arts is not a new concept, but one that is gaining more recognition in an increasingly competitive environment. Museums and galleries now acknowledge the need to identify and respond to the desires and requirements of the visiting public. Effective marketing can ultimately increase visitor numbers and revenue, and also has a role in communicating the wider educative role of a museum.

Role of the marketing/promotions officer• Implementingmarketingtopromotethegalleryasasignificantculturaldestination• Facilitatingthedistributionofmediareleasesandliaisingwithjournalists,reportersand

photographers• Coordinating exhibition openings and events• Development of marketing materials such as newsletters, programs, posters, signage and

related exhibition collateral• Implementing a co-ordinated advertising campaign• Developing and maintaining the gallery’s website and electronic communications• Developing and maintain the gallery’s social media strategy• Managing the annual marketing budget

Hamilton Gallery’s marketing plan contains the following strategies:

• Advertising is primarily campaign based and is typically done with advertisements, direct mailing, electronic direct mail (EDM), but also extends to the printing of brochures and signs and the staging of events.

• Communications is generally referred to as publicity or public relations, which is the promotion of a product by the media in its editorial content. This is different to a paid advertisement, not only because it is free, but because the museum has no control over whatispublicised;forexample,ajournalistmightwriteanunfavourablereviewofanexhibition.

• Creative Exhibitions Campaign refers to the actual executions of the advertisements for the campaign. It is where the images, key messages, text and brand elements come together for presentation to the public.

Marketing/Promotions work closely with other staff, such as the exhibition designer and curator, to develop what is the marketing plan for an exhibition.

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This can include:

• Printed material, such as brochures, flyers and posters• Distribution and direct marketing – including mail-outs to stakeholders and the placement

of brochures where potential visitors will see them• Advertising – via press (newspapers), television and radio• Publicity – marketing staff liaise with the media, supplying images and media releases; their

role may also extend to ‘issue management’ such as when a negative story appears in the press

• Website and electronic communications – a key method of advertising to potential visitors both locally and all over the world, includes development of a website and communication via email and social media

• Signage – generally devised for display both at a gallery to promote exhibitions and events, as well as off-site to the general public via banners, posters etc

• Events – events are staged to open exhibitions and programs to groups including the Friends of Hamilton Art Gallery, Trust Fund, local community groups and the general public.

Presentation Process – The Creative Campaign:How the art works are presented refers to the creative campaign. There are a multitude of factors that may affect the development of key messages and the choice of key images which include:• Key messages such as dates of exhibition, closing dates, key artists, Australian or

international, solo or group shows, special exhibition prices and offers and highlight programs

• Key image selection is affected by copyright costs, ability to crop or detail images, suitability to media format, size, reproduction values and whether they could be perceived as offensive

Production Process – The Creative Campaign:Oncetheadvertisingplanisset,thekeymessagesidentifiedandtheimagesselected,theentireset is then given to a graphic designer. In smaller institutions such as Hamilton Art Gallery, this is also done by a member of staff.

AsignificantproportionofourvisitorshavevisitedtheGalleryinresponsetoreceivingprintedmaterial, reading an article in The Spectator newspaper, attending an event, viewing it on social media or simply logging onto the website. All visitors in some way connect and respond to one or more elements in the campaign.

Using the dataMarketing research is an important activity to ensure we remain in-tune with Gallery visitors. Through feedback forms, surveys and questions by the receptionist, information collected enables the Gallery to understand who is visiting and why and how they engage with us.

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Gallery and Museum Conservation PracticesGalleries and museums world-wide are responsible for the care and preservation of an immense varietyof(oftenirreplaceable)objectsandartefacts.

Artworks held by galleries can include paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, and decorative arts. The mediums (materials) used to create these artworks can be extremely diverse, and each requires particular conditions in order to ensure its preservation for generations to come.

An international standard of care exists, and is recognised as providing the optimum conditions for the preservation of any artwork or artefact, no matter what it is made out of.These standards take into account the various elements which can affect an artwork, and are usedinconjunctionwithadditionalgalleryandmuseumpractices.

1. Environmental Controls2. Light Levels3. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)4. Manual Handling5. Storage6. Other: Collection Management, Lending, Security

1. Environmental ControlsThe environment (essentially, the air) within a gallery space is controlled as strictly as possible, as prolonged exposure to inadequate conditions or sudden and extreme fluctuations can be extremely detrimental to a collection. Hamilton Gallery has a computerised air-conditioning system, which is programmed to maintain a steady temperature and humidity at all times: 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

The system• Temperature and humidity readings are taken every 15 minutes from small wall mounted

thermohygrographs.• The database uses this information to run the Air Handling Unit (AHU) or Fan Coil Unit

(FCU) for each area of the gallery, whether it is storage or display.

Temperature• Optimumtemperatureforthemajorityofmediumsis20degreesCelsius,withanallowance

of + or – 2 degrees.• Mediums most susceptible to changes in temperature include paper, textiles (particularly

naturalfibres),wood,paint,rubber,andcelluloid(film).• Long exposure outside of the target temperature of 20°C, can result in paper, textiles,

lacquer,leather,naturalfibres,bone,woodandpaintcandarken,andbecomebrittle.• Celluloid requires a lower temperature of 20°C, or it can yellow, and fade.• Highertemperatureswillalsospeedupdecayinnaturalfibresandmaterials.

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Humidity

Relative humidity (RH) is the percentage of water found as vapour in any given volume in the air.The ideal climate for most mediums is 50%, with an allowance of + or – 5%.

• Below 45% organic materials such as paper, wood, leather, animal glue, and shell all become brittle, dry out and may split or warp.

• Above65%mouldwillgrow,veneerswilldetach,metalsmaycorrodeandpaintmayflake.

Fluctuatingrelativehumidityisextremelydamaging;organicobjectsthatconstantlyabsorbandde-absorbmoistureliterallyswellandshrink,whichwillresultintheobjectweakening,splitting,buckling and flaking.

A combination of materials can also result in an extension of damage, due to the different stress levels of materials:

• Wood and painted surface – when the stretcher of a painting expands or contracts, the paint will crack and flake.

• Wood and textile – textiles become stained/ brittle• Metal and paper – metal corrodes, paper becomes stained.

Example of damage incurred due to temperature and humidity fluctuations: 2. Light LevelsLight damage is cumulative and irreversible, so management of both light levels and duration of exposure is very important for the preservation of artwork.

Some mediums are affected by light more drastically than others, and so by limiting either one or both of these factors, potential damage to the work can be avoided.

• Light in this context refers to both light that can be seen, and ultra-violet (UV) exposure.• Standards differ depending on the composition of the work.• Works on paper and textiles require a lower light level of 50 lux• Acrylic and oil paintings can accommodate up to 120 lux.• Stone, glass, ceramic and metal can accommodate almost any range of light level.• UV is very damaging due to its high energy. This is why Gallery and Museum standard

lighting tends to use Tungsten (halogen) bulbs rather than Fluorescent tubes. However, Tungsten is hotter than Fluorescent, so they must be kept a greater distance from the works.

• Because light damage is cumulative, ideally artworks that are most susceptible to light damagehaverestrictedavailabilityforexhibition.Anallowanceof3monthsondisplayoutof every 12 months is standard, particularly for work on paper and textiles.

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3. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management is used in most galleries and museums to protect collections from insect and rodent damage.

The practice comprises aspects of good housekeeping:

• Cleaning both Front of House (the public areas of a gallery) as well as Back of House (the administration and storage areas).

• Laying and monitoring of indicator traps to record the types of activity and potential infestations that may occur.

• Regular surface fumigation of the exterior perimeter of the building, loading bay areas, as well as the inside the gallery if required.

• Prevention is better than cure; a successful IPM program also includes rules for the public.• Conditions of entry for most galleries and museums include ‘no food or drink allowed’; if

attractants such as sugary substances, food crumbs are not introduced, a pest infestation occurring is much less likely.

Different pests are attracted to different mediums

• rodents will potentially feed on any material• some moths and beetles feed on canvas and textiles• silverfishandotherinsectsfeedonpaper-basedproducts. 4. Handling

To ensure their safety, artworks and artefacts require different approaches to handling.

To glove or not to glove?Gloves are worn to prevent the oils and acids from your skins from marking and damaging the surface of the work.

Fingerprints may not show up immediately; in the case of photographs and silver, it may take severalyearstoetchintothesurface.However,oncethefingerprintsaretheretheycannotberemoved.

• Nitrile gloves – Framed work, metals, textiles, some ceramic (unglazed) and glass.• Riggersgloves(nitrile/latex)–heavyobjects• Bare hands – glazed ceramic, unframed work on paper (with paper corners)• Cotton gloves were once used extensively, however they do not provide adequate tactility

andgriptosafelyhandlemanyobjecttypesormediums• If works are in packing material they are carried without gloves as this is allows for a safer

grip.

Handling and movement of artworks and artefacts is minimized wherever possible, as this reduces the risk of any damage to the work.

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Processes are put in place to assist with safe movement:

• Useofmechanicalaids–trolleys,dollies,a-frames,palletjacks–whereverpossible,asthisminimise accidents due to human error.

• Whenever moving an artwork ensure the path is clear of obstacles.• The artwork should not be handed to another person. Instead put the work down (on a

clean surface), and allow the other person to pick it up.• When moving large and/or heavy works, ensure there are enough people available to move

the work safely. A team leader is appointed, who will assess the movement required, and give clear concise instructions to the team at the beginning of each movement.

5. Storage

The environmental conditions within a museum or gallery’s storage facility should be the same as the display areas.

Lighting may be fluorescent, however, they would only be turned on when a member of staff required access to the space.

• Framed works are stored on space-saving movable racks, which have enough space between them to ensure that artworks will not come into contact.

• Unframed work on paper is stored in plan drawers or solander boxes, depending on the size of the work. Archival (acid-free) card and tissue is used to separate one artwork from another.

• 3Dwork–largesculpture,smallsculpture,ceramic,decorativeart–canbestoredonopenshelving, in crates or boxes, or palletised.

• If open shelving or pallets are used, ideally dustcovers are placed directly over the work (large sculpture), or over the shelving, to minimise any build up of surface dirt.

6. Travelling

Crating is most often used when sending an artwork away on loan; the crate can then also be used to permanently store the work.

• Crates are made to suit an individual artwork, and will have supports and foam blocks and paddinginsertedforthesafetyofthatspecificwork.

• Framed works that travelling short distances may only be soft packed, depending on the number of destinations, and fragility of item.

• Soft packing is the use of soft materials such as bubble wrap, cellaire, foam, and tissue with orwithouttheuseofboxesorasurroundingframeworkforobjects.

Condition Reporting• A condition report is written for a work that is going out on loan; it includes photographs

of the work, and descriptions of any damage or areas of concern. This document is then

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checked on arrival at its exhibition venue, at the close of the exhibition, and on return to the gallery.

Transport• Artworks and artefacts are transported by specialist art handler companies, who have

extensiveexperienceinmovingpreciousandfragileobjects,andalsouseclimatecontrolledtrucks.

Lending• A Facilities Report is completed by any institution borrowing a work from another

institution. It outlines the gallery or museum’s environmental, lighting, security, IPM and other controls, to ensure that the work will be safe in its temporary location.

7. OtherConservation and preservation is taken into account in other aspects of the administration of a collection:

Collection Management System (CMS)• ACMSisadatabasedesignedspecificallytomanageacollection;hereisstoredall

information about a work, including name, artist, medium, location, damage, treatment, exhibitions.

Security• Vandalism/ Theft – these possibilities are controlled and minimized by the installation of a

camera and security alarm system.

Hamilton Gallery Day handout2016.pdfHistory of Hamilton Gallery Hamilton Gallery was established in...

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Transcript of Hamilton Gallery Day handout2016.pdfHistory of Hamilton Gallery Hamilton Gallery was established in...