Senior Show Guidelines

The Senior Exhibition is an ACU graduation requirement for ALL Art and Design majors completing a bachelor’s degree. What is provided on this page is an overview of a senior exhibition.  

See a full explanation in the document entitled Senior Show Protocols. It is imperative that all students follow the provided Senior Show Protocols, along with the hand-off and checklist walk-through, which typically takes place the Monday after the show. This is a Walk-through in the Shore Gallery with a representative of the student show that will sign off with Prof. Kenny Jones and hand-off the gallery to the next student show group. Details can be found on the Senior Show Hand-Off Checklist (the last page of the protocols document, link above). Once the items on the Checklist have been completed, the Senior Exhibition requirement may be considered completed.

Important: Sign up for Senior Exhibition dates takes place the semester before the senior show. Regularly check your email for important announcements about an orientation/planning meeting for the Senior Show.

Preparations and Publicity for Your Show

Get together well before the show, at least three or four weeks before the opening, and discuss what you and your senior exhibition peers want to do with your show. Do you wish to print invitations, extra posters, flyers, or promote the event on KACU, the Abilene Reporter News or a local news station, or the Optimist?

Signage options include:

  • One Large Poster– printed on the department’s large scale printer to be hung in the hallway across from the A&D Office. The standard size is 48″ (H) x 24″ (W) at 150-300 dpi (or vector sent to printer in PDF format).

A Suggested Schedule

  • The week before the installation of the show – Wall labels should be prepared, printed and taken to CopyCat for mounting and trimming. Please request that they be mounted on white foam core.  Download this template to create your wall labels.
  • Don’t forget the Large Poster and any additional printing such as flyers.
  • Monday:
    • Meet with the Gallery Director on hanging practices. Installation may begin after the hand-off from the previous group, usually at 11am. Begin hanging show.  ATTENDANCE MANDATORY!
  • Thursday: Confirm arrangements for food and refreshments. Finish hanging show—Have all pieces hung, lighted, and properly labeled.
  • Friday: Reception

Reception

An opening reception is required and your attendance is demanded. Reception are on Fridays from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. You are responsible for providing any refreshments, flowers, entertainment, etc.

Suggested items you might provide/include:

  • Food – cookies, snacks, finger foods, drinks and plenty of ice.
  • Paper napkins, cups, plates, table cloth, etc. and any other necessary supplies
  • Music (Speaker or Live)
  • Flowers/decorations
  • Sign-in book so that you will no who came (leave a place for comments)

The department will provide a microphone and portable speaker, serving tables, a punch bowl, and some serving utensils and dishes. There is a refrigerator/freezer, sink, soap, towels and limited counter space for your use in the back. The department will also provide one poster for the department hallway. This should be designed by show participants.

Suggested Schedule:

  • 4:30       Be present in the gallery.
  • 5:00       Open doors.
  • 5:30       Introductions and Comments (maximum of 5 minutes per student)
  • 6:30       Cleanup. All dishes must be washed, food removed from the gallery, table returned to storage, and all trash bagged and removed to dumpsters located north of Edwards Residence Hall (or place in 2-D Design room to be hauled off). You must complete the checklist located in the back of the gallery before leaving.

Reception Introductions

Over the years, a tradition has developed where students mounting a senior show ask a faculty member to introduce them at their opening reception. You should choose a faculty member that you are particularly close to and should ask them to introduce you in well in advance of your show. The task of introducing a student is an honor for your professors, so don’t be hesitant to ask. If you’ve attended a senior show reception before, you know that this is frequently a moving experience for the student and their family.

Reception Comments

While not required, each student has the opportunity, after they have been formally introduced, to make some brief comments to the reception attendees. These remarks could include an introduction of family or special guests in attendance, a general offer of thanks to the people who have come to support you and your peers on this special night, or other comments about your experiences in the Department of Art and Design at ACU. If you choose to address the crowd, speak clearly, or use the microphone/speaker system if necessary.

Posted Statement

Each student must prepare and display a statement that introduces themself to the all the guests that will attend your senior show. The statement could contain some biographical information about you, remarks about the works you’ve assembled in the senior show, and your future career plans. This statement should not be too long and printed in a relatively large font. One or two brief but well considered paragraphs are sufficient.

Student Responsibilities

This is your show. Make it as nice as possible! It will take preparation but it will be worth all the effort. Items like publicity must be addressed early to meet printing deadlines. Work should be suitably prepared for display. All pieces that are suitable for framing must be framed. Each piece must be clean. There should be no unintentional smudges, no wet paint, sharp or dangerous surfaces/edges, etc. Make certain that there is nothing on the surface of your work that could mark or soil the wall or scratch the floor of the gallery!

Number of Required Works Per Student:

How many pieces will you need? It depends on several factors but always you must consider size of individual works and whether they will take up wall or floor space. The gallery will hold anywhere between 30 and 40 wall pieces of average size without looking too sparse or crowded. If you are showing with at least three or more individuals, you will need to prepare 5 to 6 pieces to hang. There is usually more flexibility in regard to 3-D works, as these can often be grouped if necessary.

These shows are designed to showcase you and the works that you have produced in preparation for the array of careers our degree plans are designed to serve. Designs produced in graphic design or interior architecture and design courses  are perfectly appropriate for the senior show, just as they are appropriate to your discipline. Today, prestigious museums across the country host shows that focus on design rather than traditional painting or sculpture. You should consider this truth as you select the pieces for your exhibition.

Regarding painting the gallery and Installations:

All the Shore Gallery’s permanent walls are to be left white. Do not hang artworks from the track lighting system, since this can damage the track. Also, keep in mind that sometimes restraint or a minimalistic approach is more effective and complimentary of the works hanging traditionally on gallery walls than an environment that is too chaotic or congested.

Post-Show Closing

All work should be promptly removed at the close of the show and walls prepped for an upcoming show. This includes: removing nails, filling holes, repainting walls with provided white paint. Leave the space cleaner than you received it.

 

Any questions should be addressed to: