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How to Hang Artwork in a Gallery

There are numerous ways to hang artwork in galleries, and a lot of them depend on the artist's view. For most, the classic gallery style serves its purpose well. Galleries usually feature blank white walls and one or two pieces of art per wall. Depending on the number of pieces, there may be more per wall. Size of the pieces and available wall space also determine how close together artwork is placed.

Things You'll Need

  • Artwork with wire hangers
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Ruler or tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Adjustable studio lights
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Instructions

  1. Hanging Work

    • 1

      Measure 57 to 66 inches from the floor and lightly mark the height on the wall. The exact height is your preference, but artwork should generally hang at eye level.

    • 2

      Measure half of the height of artwork you are hanging. For example, if your artwork is 14 inches tall, seven inches is the halfway point.

    • 3

      Measure the distance between the top of your art and the highest point at which the wire reaches on the back of your piece. Subtract that distance from your artwork's halfway point. If your halfway point is 7 inches and the wire reaches one inch from the top, you will be left with 6 inches.

    • 4

      Take this measurement and mark it above your first wall marking.

    • 5

      Hammer your nail into the second mark, your new marking, and hang your artwork.

    • 6

      Hang each piece as you did the first.

    Grouping Work

    • 7

      Experiment with how you want to group different sizes of artwork together. Consider alternating large and small pieces, or line them up so that they gradually get smaller.

    • 8

      Decide how much distance you want between each piece of artwork, and measure how wide the next piece you're hanging will be. Add these two measurements, and measure that length from the edge of the first piece of artwork to find the spot where you will hang the second piece.

    • 9

      Illuminate your work. You can do this from above and below with adjustable studio lights.

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