Exhibition managers come from a variety of backgrounds. There is currently no specific training program in project management associated with museums; most people develop their skills through experience. It is important to have training in art history, visual art or arts administration. Exhibition managers deal with countless colleagues at the Gallery and in other museums, so they must be bilingual.
"My colleagues and I come to Exhibition Project Management from various disciplines including Art History, Fine Arts, Curatorial Studies, Conservation, and Arts Administration. A Masters degree in any of these disciplines is ideal, as is training and experience in Exhibition Project Management."
Julie Hodgson, Senior Project Manager
The Exhibitions Management department plans and coordinates all the exhibitions presented by the Gallery, including:
• All the changes to the permanent collections galleries
• Exhibitions that are organized by other museums and are loaned to the Gallery
• Exhibitions organized through partnerships with other museums
• Traveling exhibitions developed by the Gallery especially for loan to other museums throughout Canada.
For information about the Gallery’s exhibits, see the Gallery’s Web site.
Educators plan, present and evaluate the education programs the Gallery offers for children, families, students, adults and seniors. Educators organize lectures, write labels for exhibitions, produce videos, write scripts for audio guides, produce materials for teachers, provide content for the Web, and present workshops. All these programs are intended to encourage visitors to enjoy art, to learn about its meaning, and to develop their own appreciation of paintings, sculptures, drawings, videos and installations. Museum educators respond to what visitors already know about art and use this to expand visitors’ understanding and enjoyment of the Gallery’s collections.
Exhibition managers are key people in making all these exhibitions happen. As soon as an exhibition is approved, an exhibition manager starts working with the curator. Together they plan the scope of the exhibition, the budget, and the timeline for getting it organized. After that, the exhibition manager is the hub of information for the whole team responsible for the exhibition: curator, educator, communications officer, designer, technical and installation staff, etc...
For very large exhibitions, the planning may take up to three or four years. The exhibition manager organizes meetings for the team, makes certain everyone has all the information they need, and keeps the schedule and budget on track. In addition to organizing meetings, exhibition managers spend a lot of time coordinating information: checking and answering e-mail and phone messages, writing letters and contracts in order to borrow artworks, writing up notes from meetings, making lists and planning priorities.
"Since we are an exhibitions-based institution, my colleagues and I are always very busy managing the many exhibitions presented locally, nationally, and internationally. I provide a structure for each exhibition and work with a team of specialists -- curators, conservators, designers, publication and multimedia professionals, collections managers, and art handlers among others -- to ensure that the exhibition concept is developed, produced, and realized."
Julie Hodgson, Senior Project Manager
