Want help to plan your exhibit at an art gallery? Print off a few copies of your art gallery's floor plan and get going! Many galleries will have their floor plan available on their website and often in a conveniently downloadable file. If you  don't see what you are looking for you can send an email requesting the floor plan. The floor plan drawings are often to precise scale which can help you plan the exhibit down to the last detail. Though there may still be changes that you make on the day that you go to hang your show. For many artists working with the gallery's floor plan can help them get a stronger grasp of how their work will be experienced in the gallery space - which helps with pre-show jitters!

There are many benefits to using a floor plan:

1. Estimating the amount  of art work that can be displayed in the space. I like to have a gallery floor plan handy when I am preparing for the show so that I can make sure that I have more than enough new work prepared for my art exhibition.

2. Estimating the scale of the work that can be displayed in the art gallery. With insight into the general footage and ceiling height you can make safe plans for any installation work that you might want to create. Don't forget to check the door way if you are bringing any large objects into the space that can't be disassembled first.

3. Estimating the space between art pieces so they can be spaced well. I like to put tracing paper over the diagram and draw in my paintings to scale, adjusting the space between works as I go. 

I'd advise to draw out a few different scenarios and bring the drawings with you when you go to install your work in the art gallery before your exhibit. Even if you don't have an exhibition planned this is a great way to start thinking about what is involved in planning your own art show. I love considering all the different scenarios of how the art will be installed and having multiple options "up my sleeve" before the big installation day!

Image source [1]