The Senior Exhibition is an ACU graduation requirement for all Art and Design majors completing a bachelor’s degree. Provided below is an itinerary of everything a senior exhibition entails. Once this itinerary has been completed the Senior Exhibition requirement may be considered completed.
Reception
An opening reception is required and your attendance demanded. Typically the receptions begin at 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. and run until around 6:30 or 7 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 dishes. There is a refrigerator, 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.
- 5:15 Introductions and Lectures (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 Lecture
Each student is required to prepare and deliver a brief speech at the reception. A faculty member that you are particularly close to should be asked in advance to introduce you. One faculty member could introduce all of you or different faculty might introduce you individually. This is an honor for your professors so don’t be hesitant to ask. Your remarks may include introductions of family and guests but the primary goal of the talk is to introduce yourself and intelligently discuss your work in the show. Your speech should be limited to 5 minutes and could be derived (or read) from your posted statement*.
You should be prepared and professional. Use the microphone and speak clearly and slowly as it is difficult to hear in a crowded space, particularly with our noisy air control system. Introduce yourself by name, origin, major, career prospects and ambitions. You might then choose to discuss inherent themes and directions in all your pieces or elect to spend time on just one or two pieces that you feel represent you well or are of particular interest. Influences, media, techniques and thought processes could be addressed.
Posted Statement:
Each student must prepare and display a statement that addresses much of what might be mentioned in your talk. 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 will be worth 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 and dry. There should be no charcoal smudges on the back, no wet paint, no kiln wash on ceramics, 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 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 other 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.
Also, philosophically some students feel that only “fine art” pieces are suitable for a senior show. This attitude is understandable, as typically that is what galleries exclusively feature, but that is not in keeping with the purposes of our senior shows at ACU. These shows are designed to showcase you and the works that you have produced in preparation for careers that vary immensely. Exclusively graphic design pieces or interior design projects are perfectly appropriate. Today, prestigious museums across the country will put together shows that focus on design rather than traditional painting or sculpture. You should consider this as you select the pieces for your exhibition.
Regarding painting the gallery and Installations:
All gallery walls are to be left white. Our policy this year is to allow students to only paint the two freestanding walls. This is not necessary but if you choose to do so, you must repaint the portable walls flat black again at the show’s conclusion. One gallon should be enough. Remember this expense must be borne by the show participants (occasionally we have available paint in the back). The Gallery Director must pre-approve graphics and any paint must be flat and water-based. Should you choose to paint, be aware that paint drips and splatters on the floor must be removed completely or a fine will be administered to all participants.
Site-specific installations have become more popular in recent years. If this requires suspending objects from the ceiling or unusual anchoring to the walls, it is important that you receive advanced approval. Do not hang from the tracks since some are broken. Also, keep in mind that sometimes restraint and/or a more minimalistic approach is more effective and complimentary of the works hanging in the show than an environment that is too chaotic or congested.
Post-Show Closing
All work should be removed and walls prepped for upcoming show. This includes: removing nails, filling holes, repainting walls with provided white paint. Make the space as clean as when you came.
Preparations and Publicity for Your Show
Get together three or four weeks before the opening and discuss what you want to do. 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 at the CopyCat in the ACU Library. The standard size is 35″ x 48″ at 150-300 dpi (or vector sent to printer in PDF format). To be hanged in the hallway.
- Banner– A banner can be printed and attached to the outside of the gallery on a designated wall. Design at: 6″ x 11.5″ at 300 dpi (3450 px by 1800 px). If interested, the turn around time is around a week. Students are responsible for cost of banner and professional ACU installation.
The Week of The Opening (Suggested Schedule)
- Sat/Sun: Wall preparation and painting if desired.
- Monday:
- Works Due in the Shore Gallery.
- 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.
- Receive instructions on professional hanging practices from a gallery assistant or the gallery director. Begin hanging show. Note that the gallery assistant may be able to provide some assistance to you in this process but it your responsibility to prepare and hang the show—ATTENDANCE MANDATORY!
- Thursday: Confirm arrangements for food and refreshments. Finish hanging show—Have all pieces hung, lighted, and properly labeled.
- Friday: Reception
Any questions should be addressed to:
- Summer Walters -800-460-2085 — summer.walters@acu.edu