Curating an Exhibition

Wow! That was so much harder and even more rewarding than I thought it would be. Curating, or co-curating in this case, an exhibition was a whirlwind. The time it takes to conceptualize a theme is probably the hardest part. Once we found our artist, the ball really started to roll quickly. From writing the text panels and deciding how large they should be and what exactly they needed to say was its own hurdle. Then the labels for the actual works of art were a lesson in patience and a crash course in making them the way that I wanted them to look aesthetically. Did I mention research?

Researching the history of fiber arts, needlework, and finally actually needlepoint proved to be a much heftier task than I could have possibly imagined. Scholarly sources on needlepoint are few and far between. Learning all about jazz, it’s history and impact, and the artists who make, or made, the music was a fascinating journey. Getting to hear our artist, Leanna Leithauser Lesly, tell us about jazz greats and why she loved them was an experience that I won’t soon forget. Taking a studio tour of her work space, which also happens to be in her lovely home, was eye-opening to how much material and time it takes to make each needlepoint portrait. Her actual studio is a bedroom that is filled with various colors and shades of yarn, some of her finished works, a sewing machine, and other odds and ends for perfecting her works. She also has an even larger back stock of yarn and stacks upon stacks of frames waiting to host their musician.

Leanna Leathauser Lesley, Dr. Frank Adams, Needlepoint, Photo courtesy of the artist.

              Hanging the show was an exercise in voicing my opinion and learning the difference in curating a show versus facilitating an artist. We worked together to make compromises on symmetry, placement, and theme on each wall. We planned the locations for our text panels and labels. We met with Leanna to chose planters to use to put floral arrangements in for the opening, scheduled a band, and had snacks.

The absolutely amazing experience of seeing all of our hard work displayed so beautifully and to have an artist who was totally thrilled with the finished product was absolutely amazing. It cemented my desire to work as a curator and help choose what to share with the community, why to share it and how it impacts art history, the community, and the world. Choosing a subject that I knew very little about was risky, but I think that it absolutely paid off. I learned so much about two different art forms and gained innumerable respect for the artists who produce works in needlepoint and jazz. I am very excited to start my career and jump right into curating more shows.