Your creativity and expertise is invited to help me create wall space 
for an art exhibit!

The Putnam County Museum (where I am director and one of only two part 
time employees) is mounting a small contemporary artists exhibit this 
summer, however I'm not certain that we'll be able to accommodate all 
of the two dimensional art that will come in.   We have previously had 
historical exhibits with objects in display cases, so we should be able 
to handle the 3-d art.  We are located in a single room in a 1950s 
school with two available concrete block walls and a wall of windows 
(currently covered with shades).

I have two plans for hanging paintings, photographs, etc.

1) I have discussed creating a picture rail with my volunteer carpenter 
that can be securely anchored into the concrete block, however I'm not 
sure if a grooved rail with rod hangers would be more secure than using 
micro filament wrapped around nails along the top of the rail and 
attached to the pieces.  I would appreciate suggestions from anyone who 
uses a rail now.

2) Build some sort of temporary wall along the window filled wall or 
create some sort of free standing wall.  My current favorite plan is to 
create a box with hinged corners that could be folded up for storage.  
(We have another half a room for our collection, exhibit preparation 
and my office.)  However, board members have suggested using old doors 
attached to create a free standing zig-zag wall.  While I could see 
this as interesting, I'm not sure my artists would appreciate the 
"distraction" from their work.  Plus, we'd have to find old doors.  And 
finally, I've approached a local carpenter about building storage areas 
that would cover some of the windowed wall and provide some additional 
wall space, however this is way beyond the budget.

Our budget for this project in small (less than $500, including labor, 
supplies, paint and all hanging materials), and while I have handled 
and transported art, I have never hung it, except in my own home.  I 
will be installing the exhibit in July.

I would appreciate suggestions for either the picture rail idea or the 
temporary walls!  Feel free to reply to me directly or to the list.

Stacy Klingler
Director, Putnam County Museum
Greencastle, IN
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(765) 653-8419

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