Studio Arts Unit 4 Outcome 3 exhibition focus Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present Marilyn Monroe 5 March 10 July 2016 View a current exhibition; research aspects of the preparation and presentation of the exhibition with reference to: The classification of gallery/exhibition space, for example, public or commercial gallery, alternative art space or online exhibition. Bendigo Art Gallery is a public art space, owned and operated by the City of Greater Bendigo (local government) and retaining an independent Board of Management who oversees investment of funds for acquisition. The exhibition has been curated by the Gallery s Senior Curator Tansy Curtin and is displayed exclusively at Bendigo Art Gallery. The works have been sourced from numerous private collections around the world, including from Spain and the United States. Some objects have also been borrowed from private collections within Australia. What audiences do you think this exhibition caters for? How does this relate to the goals of a public gallery? The main characteristics of the exhibition space The exhibition is displayed across 10 exhibition spaces, the majority of spaces being part of the Gallery s most recent redevelopment (completed in 2014). The Gallery has employed an exhibition designer to assist with the layout and design of the exhibition spaces. The exhibition curator presented the designer with a number of ideas/concepts to incorporate into the overall aesthetic of the exhibition. Colour and graphic elements have an important role to play the graphic elements (such as the timeline wall) incorporate a mid-century aesthetic and the use of colour has been inspired by Marilyn Monroe s choice of colour in her own wardrobe. There is also a consistent use of colours throughout the 10 rooms black and gold. Moving image also forms a major component of this exhibition, which has been presented in a variety of ways. A large cinema style room includes a 15 minute loop of excerpts from some of Marilyn s best Fox films; a collage of 5 screens presents snippets from Marilyn s film career and life; 3 vintage televisions present a selection of archival newsreel footage of interviews with Marilyn. Lighting: the light levels are set at 50 lux throughout the exhibition, the international standard for textiles and works on paper. 1
Exhibition Design plans and diagrams 2
Discuss the effect of spreading the the display of the artworks across ten rooms: Analyse the effect of the white cube space; do you think the white walls compliment the artworks or detract from them? Discuss: The approach for displaying artworks The exhibition presents the life and work of Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe in two distinct ways through a chronological display of objects as well as by highlighting individual items to tell specific stories in the life of this important film star. The first room within the exhibition introduces the audience to the highly recognisable star Marilyn Monroe through costumes from key films (Some Like it Hot, How to marry a Millionaire, Let s Make Love) as well as the outfit she wore during one of the most significant events of her life when she sang for the troops in Korea in 1954. Also included in the first room is a chronology or timeline of key moments in Marilyn s life. The second exhibition space includes a selection of photographs from Marilyn s (or Norma Jeane as she was first called) childhood as well as a selection of items which once belong to her jewellery, makeup, books etc items not usually included within a gallery of museum context. The following rooms in the exhibition highlight key aspects of Marilyn Monroe film costumes from some of her early film roles, clothing from her personal wardrobe, letters and archival 3
documents from her time working with Twentieth Century Fox, as well as original photographs, film posters and large scale imagery giving context to Marilyn s life. The curator has deliberately elected to display the costumes and personal clothing on speciallydesigned body forms so that the objects appear to be floating or bodiless. This was done so that any mannequin or body form would not interfere with the viewers experience of the costume it is much easier for someone to imagine Marilyn wearing a particular item when there is no mannequin in it. Explain the effect of the spacing and grouping of the artworks and the way in which they are hung; how does this differ from the artworks on display in the Bolton, Drury and Abbott Courts at Bendigo Art Gallery? What was the intention of the curator in displaying the objects? This exhibition presents film costumes, personal clothing and artefacts worn or owned by one of the world s most celebrated film stars Marilyn Monroe. The exhibition seeks to shed light on this enigmatic star by highlighting her films and showing elements of her personal life. The exhibition design brings in elements of the era in which Marilyn lived California in the 1950s and 1960s and includes items such as furniture made by local firm Jimmy Possum, vintage stage lights, curtains and a feature marquee light all assist in creating context and evoking a vintage feel. How does the exhibition design influence your viewing experience? 4
The role of the curators, graphic designer and other staff The Curator (Tansy Curtin, Curatorial Manager, Bendigo Art Gallery) worked with staff from various museums and galleries as well as private lenders to deliver the exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery. This involved sourcing relevant objects, providing loan documentation, freight, copyright permissions, installation requirements, and providing details on infrastructure and installation details. Bendigo Art Gallery worked an independent Graphic Designer to develop a Look and Feel for the exhibition. This was subsequently developed into a style guide for the exhibition including fonts and colours and has been used on all marketing materials. The graphic designer then used this guide to design ads and other promotional material including an exhibition catalogue. A sign writer was engaged to provide the exhibition graphics including the large chronology wall, didactic text panels, large format quotes, contextual images and the title wall in all the exhibition spaces. The Curator researched and wrote the text and information about the objects and the exhibition sections for use in newspapers, journals, social media, interviews etc to give the public an idea of the content of the exhibition. The information was also transformed into label text in the exhibition, for both diverse audiences. The Curator developed public programs and events to complement the exhibition and enhance the visitor experience, such as guest lectures, artists talks, family trails and more. The Curator liaised with the Collections Manager and Technicians regarding transport and installation aspects of the exhibition. The installation of the exhibition was coordinated by the Collections Manager with the Curators and couriers from other institutions. All labels and extended text panels were supplied by the curators. How the exhibition space deals with conservation issues Handling: The objects were all handled with nitrile gloves to ensure they were not damaged and kept clean. The costumes and personal clothing was installed onto the custom-built mannequins by a qualified conservator who had been contracted by the Gallery. Since these objects are all from private collections some preventative conservation was undertaken (with the permission of the owners) during the installation process. Transportation: Transportation was organised by Bendigo Art Gallery, utilising an experienced art handling Freight Company. The works were packed into special crates and travelling frames with bubble wrap by art handlers at the point of origin (USA and Europe). The works were transported by air in climate controlled storage and then in trucks from the airport with specialist art handlers. Lux Levels: Textiles and work on paper are extremely light sensitive and so must be display at 50 lux. All works in this exhibition are displayed under these conditions. What else has been included in the exhibition to reduce the likelihood of deliberate or accidental damage to artworks? 5
How the gallery deals with promotion and marketing The Gallery s approach to promotion and marketing differs with each exhibition, and in accordance with its budget. The Gallery also works closely with the City of Greater Bendigo s tourism department to market its exhibitions. For this exhibition, the Gallery focused on a more diverse audience rather than the traditional arts engaged audience; the Gallery developed campaigns in news media (print and online) Avant Cards, street advertising (billboards, footpath signage and posters). The Gallery and Tourism also utilised social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. The Publicist created the media release in consultation with the Curator and targeted a range of journalists and publications from metropolitan and national newspapers to arts magazines, niche lifestyle publications and local media. Hero Image Hero images selected for promotion usually has a strong shape and focal point that can be reproduced large or small. They should sum up what the exhibition is about and communicate that to a wide audience. Usually at least two or three hero images are selected for promoting an exhibition. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953 and 2016 Fox Online advertisement 6
MEDIA RELEASE March 2016 Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present Marilyn Monroe 5 March 10 July, 2016 One of the most comprehensive exhibitions of Marilyn Monroe costumes, personal effects and photographs ever presented, Bendigo Art Gallery and Twentieth Century Fox present Marilyn Monroe shines a light on one of Hollywood s most acclaimed, enigmatic and celebrated stars. This blockbuster exhibition, exclusive to Bendigo and curated by Bendigo Art Gallery, includes costumes, personal clothing and artefacts sourced from private collections around the world, and never before seen in Australia. The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox, allowing unprecedented access to twelve of the films Marilyn completed with the studio, as well as studio portraits, wardrobe test photographs and an archive of never-before-seen correspondence and legal documentation relating to Marilyn s time with Fox. Exploring in equal part Marilyn s film career and her personal life, the exhibition also includes authentic artefacts, clothing and other objects that belonged to, or were worn by Marilyn Monroe, alongside more than twenty original film costumes from films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire and Some Like it Hot, exposing the duality, myths and half-truths of the Marilyn-Norma Jeane phenomenon. The exhibition includes: Photographs, film clips and promotional materials from the Twentieth Century Fox archives. More than 20 authentic, original film costumes worn by Marilyn in some of her most popular films including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, How to Marry a Millionaire, Love Nest and There s No Business Like Show Business. A selection of personal effects including the actress childhood camera, director s chair and makeup. More than 20 of Marilyn s own personal wardrobe outfits and costume accessories Original photographs, film extracts and film scripts featuring the actress own notations. Bendigo Art Gallery is delighted to have collaborated with Twentieth Century Fox to present this comprehensive study of the life of one of Hollywood s most iconic actresses, which in many ways is also a celebration of twentieth century popular culture, said Karen Quinlan, Director, Bendigo Art Gallery. The exhibition takes a close look at Marilyn s Hollywood career, the clothing she wore and her personal possessions, offering us some insights into this enigmatic star and a richer personal and professional portrait of this extraordinary woman. For further media information: Katrina Hall Publicity/Communications 0421153046, kathall@ozemail.com.au 7
Publicity Staff In larger state public galleries a full time publicity officer may be employed. At Bendigo Art Gallery, which is a regional public gallery, some of the publicity is outsourced to a freelance publicist. The curators also take on publicity as part of their role and must be able to write media releases and liaise with the media. Sponsorship Bendigo Art Gallery has a number of ongoing sponsors and supporters such as Creative Victoria, City of Greater Bendigo, International Art Services (freight support) and Bendigo Advertiser (media support). This exhibition also has a number of additional sponsors (specific to the exhibition), including Art Series Hotels, Bendigo Bank, Vline, Passion8 Diamonds, La Trobe University, Bendigo Modern Press, Melbourne Airport and Jimmy Possum. Government Sponsors: Government sponsorship assists in an ongoing sense with the operation of the Gallery, for the purpose of delivering exhibitions and programs. In addition, specifically for Imagining Ned they provided indemnification (the cost of insuring the works brought together for the exhibition). It is essential for the Gallery to obtain this type of financial support with temporary exhibitions of significant value, as the cost of insuring can be prohibitive. Logo Tree: Prepared by Tansy Curtin, Curatorial Manager, and Helen Attrill, Education Officer, Bendigo Art Gallery 8