Art Show - Room Layout

Now that you know all about the room, what needs to go in it?

Panels & tables	Are the art show.
Security Office & cashier	Art show needs
Print Shop	Best in art show - if not, needs own security & office
Reception Box storage Supply & packing storage Demos Exhibits or Special displays	Can be elsewhere, nearby is better

Panels, office, and security all must be in the same room. It is possible to put the Print Shop elsewhere, but if you do, it will need its own office and security - which takes more staff as well as space - and it will probably get less traffic and lower sales. Box storage needs to be convenient to the art show, but need not be in the same room (and boxes are usually not pretty, so nearby might be better). Some exhibits and special displays can stand alone, as can art demos, but they also work well in the art show room if they fit. If not, try to have them nearby, so they and the art show can share a mutual audience. If you plan to have an artists’ reception and don't have wide aisles, it may be better to have it nearby rather than in the art show itself.

You will need some sort of security by each entrance to the room (see Art Show - security ). The art show office should also be near the entrance. If you have a large show with more than one entrance, you may want a main office at the main entrance, and satellite offices at other entrances, particularly if buyers need to sign up before bidding.

Security and an office are necessary overhead, not the purpose of the show. Most of the show will be occupied by panels and tables. Rows of panels should leave sufficient aisles for easy access by wheelchairs, for multiple people to pass easily, and for good sight lines to the artwork (you would also like good sight lines down the aisles from your office and security areas). The smallest aisle I like is 6’ (that’s actually about a 7’ minimum clearance in zig-zag - see panels for how to measure). Seven feet is distinctly better than six, eight is somewhat better than seven, and gains per additional foot diminish thereafter. Prestige shows generally want wider aisles, as do shows expecting extremely heavy traffic.

You should plan your layout well in advance, and in detail. You want exact locations for every table and panel (or row of panels). It’s hard to have too much detail. Doing more planning won’t save you work, but it does shift a bunch of it from during the show – when you don’t have time for it – to before the show. I’m willing to spend 2 or 3 hours before the convention to save an hour during it. And planning in advance usually allows you to do a better job. (see Art Show - setup )

Panel Layout

(for panel types and construction, see panel types and construction )

Wall Panels

Panels along walls can only be used on one side, but allow you to squeeze in extra panels with no extra space required. They're space efficient but material inefficient. Wall panels must be held up by more than tables along the wall (though that might be OK temporarily during construction). You can run overhead braces from the tops of the wall panels, place perpendicular panels at intervals or provide some sort of sturdy leg. Don't expect to attach wall panels to the wall.

Wall panels are good for displaying really large pieces, especially if you can put them at the end of an aisle where they'll get long sight distances. Wall panels are also good for putting an artist's 2D and 3D work together. You can put an 18" wide table in front of the panel. Do not use wider tables if people need to reach the panels (e.g., to fill out bid sheets). Large 3D work will obstruct the panels, so artists may not want this arrangement, but it's nice to have the option.

Free standing panels

Most of your panels are usually free standing. They have four basic layout types: islands, crosses, bays, and zig-zag.

Islands are triangles or squares of panels, most often used for special displays (and they go around pillars nicely). You can only use one side of each flat, much like wall panels.

A cross is 4 panels in a cross or x shape. These are fairly efficient, but less than bays or zigzags. They may also be less sturdy than larger groupings.

If you link crosses together, you get bays. Bays are sturdier and more space efficient than crosses. Notice that the bays are twice as wide as they are deep. Follow this rule unless the bay it is at least 10 feet wide.

Zig-zags are also sturdy and space efficient. For most purposes, you'll want to use bays or zig-zags. Which you prefer depends on:

• which is easier to build with your flats (if either is)
• the size of your panels. 8' panels make huge bays - zig-zag may be better. 4' to 6' work well with either style. 3' or less is too small for zig-zag and marginal for bays - you can combine them into 4' to 6' sections.
• exact room dimensions. A zig-zag of 4 foot panels is about 3 feet wide and grows longer in 3 foot increments. 4'x8' bays are 8 feet wide and grow longer in 8 foot increments. In really large rooms this makes little difference. In small rooms one may fit the room dimensions better. For instance, assuming 4' panels and 6' aisles in a room 32 feet wide, bays and zig-zag are similar. A foot more and zig-zag wins handily. Add another foot, and bays win. Two rows of bays take exactly 34 feet (two 8 foot rows plus 3 aisles of 6 feet). Three rows of zig-zag take 33 feet (3 rows at 3 feet each plus 4 aisles of 6 feet).