Exhibit/Gallery Response

Regardless of how wonderful art reproductions may be, there is no substitute for viewing “real” pieces.  This assignment, to visit 2 exhibits or galleries and 1 online museum, gives you that opportunity of seeing for yourself.

For the 2 "real" visits, several places close by offer this experience.  In downtown Clifton Forge, we have the Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center, which sponsors several exhibits in different media throughout the year.  A little more distant are galleries of Washington and Lee University, Roanoke College, Hollins University, and often exhibits at Virginia Western Community College.  The Roanoke Fine Arts Museum is also an excellent possibility, and if you’re in Richmond, the Virginia Fine Arts Museum has many offerings as well.  A bit farther away are the many galleries and museums of Washington, D. C., and if you head toward Baltimore or New York City on a trip during the semester, you’ll have overwhelming choices!  But you have several places nearby if those larger cities aren’t an option for you. 

If you choose a museum setting or large gallery, select one exhibit and concentrate on that offering.  To try to take in the entire museum would be much too large a task! 

Follow the process of viewing the exhibit slowly, letting both your eyes and your other senses respond.  Take a notebook, and after a few minutes, write down some of your reactions.  Then read the materials offered on the works—often these are pamphlets for the public to pick up and use, located near the opening of the exhibit.  After reading the information, spend a little more time viewing, especially if one or two pieces have caught your interest.  Briefly jot down any ideas or responses you have, and note specific works from the exhibit.  If more than one artist is featured, be sure to note all names. 

For the online museum evaluation, search through several of the choices available to you through either the Art Resources on the Web link or the other links listed on the homepage.  Key in this assignment is finding an online museum site that interests you and offers exhibits of works you'd like to know more about.  Don't waste your time on just any site--find one you like.  Follow the same procedure you've taken in the "real" exhibit process:  Select a specific exhibit offered by the museum and keep a notebook handy to jot down what you see and your reactions.  Spend a little time following description links offered or other information that online museums have for viewers.  Again, write down your reaction to the site overall and then specifically to the exhibit/works you've viewed.  What was most interesting about the site?   What was most significant for you in your exhibit choice?  Will you go back to the site again?  If so, why?  And if not, why not?  

Now for what you hand in to me.  Your paper for any of these evaluations should be more than a “journal response.”  Take time to find out some information about the place you visited—a bit of its history and how it came to house or show the exhibit you viewed.  Talk with a docent or find written information about the museum or gallery center on the site.  Include this information in a brief introduction, and include basic facts about the exhibit itself. 

For the physical exhibits, next focus more closely on the setting:  Where in the building is the exhibit located?  Was there more than one room to view?  How were the works displayed?  Was there anything unusual about the lighting or method of display? 

For the online exhibit, was access easy to follow?  Were there difficult aspects of "surfing" the site or was there more you'd like to have been able to see? Were there options for viewing that helped you to examine details?  If so, were they easy to use?  If not, would that option enhance the "viewing"?

Concentrate on YOUR reaction and response to the works' display, noting specific pieces you viewed.  Then respond to what you see as significant about the artist(s) and her/his work. 

Finally, for both the in person and online selections, draw on your overall reaction to the exhibit and the experience of seeing the “real” thing or being able to "surf" the works that you wouldn't see otherwise.  What works were most significant for you in the exhibit?  What were your impressions in spending this time examining the works?  Did any of your reactions surprise you?  What sense of the works did you bring away from the exhibit?  Speak specifically of some of the works you viewed.  Would you go to see another exhibit by the same artist(s) or look for this artist at another online site?  What final thoughts can you include on the experience? 

This paper is more formal than your journal responses and requires some time organizing your thoughts and revising your work into a clear, well-supported essay.  Use MLA or Turabian documentation and work in standard format (1" margins, 12 pt. font, dbl-spd), including name header with page numbers.  Include a works cited page that lists any pamphlets or documents you drew from for information, and if you talked with a docent to gain some of these facts, be sure to include their name as well as the date, just as you would if you were citing a personal interview. 

If you have any questions on this format, please ask.  Your Little Brown Handbook reference includes detailed examples of how to cite various works, and I’ll be glad to work with you on this aspect if you need help.  Just let me know. 

Min> 3 pages. No Exceptions.