art exhibition essay examples

Art Exhibitions Essay Examples and Topics

Exhibition review, summary of “inside the white cube” by brian o’doherty, museum of contemporary art of georgia: pest analysis, the national gallery history.

• Words: 2221

Examining the Expression of Childhood Nostalgia with the Help of Minimalistic Forms

• Words: 2392

A History of the World in the 100 Objects Exhibition

• Words: 1663

“Degas at the Opéra” Art Exhibition

History and theory of archaeology: museum field trip.

• Words: 1306

Art Gallery: Metropolitan Museum

Museums’ significance today and in the future, dress exhibitions analysis, digital art exhibition review.

• Words: 1152

Merran Esson’s Exhibition

The artwork “the vitruvius man” by leonardo da vinci, deities and devotion in mongolian buddhist art: online exhibition.

• Words: 1376

The Columbian Exposition in Chicago and Its Influence on Society

• Words: 1393

MoMA as a Cultural Institution

The ethnological reflection on visit of treptow museum, the nelson-atkins museum of art: a history, the “close enough” exhibition of photographs, canadian museums’ history and development, aspects of wardell millan’s exhibition, eliminating discrimination: poems from “counting descent” by clint smith, the “hear me now” exhibition review, virtual the frick museum analysis, the banksy and basquiat exhibition communication plan, national museum of modern and contemporary art, korea, the 23rd biennale of sydney in australia, primavera 2021: young australian artists exhibition.

• Words: 2011

Michael Jackson’s Glove for Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

• Words: 1910

The Exhibition “Tatter, Bristle and Mend” by Sonya Clark

The philadelphia museum of art impressions, holocaust commemoration in the us holocaust memorial museum, in america: a lexicon of fashion exhibition, a visit to the holocaust museum houston, social issues in the “in plain sight” art project, visual analysis of a funerary mask, paintings of atlanta high museum of art works, the metropolitan museum of art, creation of a corporate art collection, a virtual trip to birmingham museum of art, the new york historical society’s exhibitions, artwork: content and physical nature, boston art organizations and their activity, “code names” and “hansel & gretel” art installations.

• Words: 3075

Exhibition in Etihad Museum

• Words: 3474

Winnie Truong’s Solo Trade Fair: An Art Exhibition

• Words: 1149

James Cook’s Travels: The Exhibition Structure Proposal

• Words: 1474

Representing Islam and Muslims in Islamic Art Exhibitions

Accessibility of arts or exhibitions to minorities, holocaust museum exhibition “state of deception”.

• Words: 1056

The Positive Evolution of Art in the Twentieth Century

Sustaining museum experience: exhibition design, museum of chinese in america: history, a visit to the museum of tolerance, “skyspace” by james turrell, anti-religious or blasphemous art exhibits, art audit: performance management, quai branly museum: a memorial visit in paris, the visit to cummer museum in jacksonville, “intermission” the exhibition by canadian centre for architecture, the interpretation a drawing from the darktown banjo class series entitled “off the key”.

• Words: 1386

A Work of Modern Art Analysis: “Global Death and Destruction” by Robert Arneson

• Words: 1215

Art Appreciation. Inspiration of an Artwork

The exhibition “the arlen ness photographic exhibition”.

• Words: 1007

Antony Gormley’s Recent Art Exhibition

• Words: 1100

Critique of the Exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s Works

• Words: 1259

Modern Vision of Art: “Embankment” and “TH.2058”

Modern art: nature, life man and abstract exhibition.

• Words: 1680

Art in America. Hard Targets—Masculinity and Sport

• Words: 2015

Louvre Museum: Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”

Egyptian exhibit in metropolitan museum of arts, museum exhibit: oudry’s painted menagerie, art pilgrimage in the sixteenth century, interior architecture in context: still undead exhibition, french art movement new realism, russell cotes art gallery & museum’s attraction.

• Words: 3029

De Young Museum Virtual Guide

• Words: 1548

The History Museums in Nottingham

A permanent exhibit: nottingham, mickalene thomas exhibition: press release, the african art and origins exhibit, 2019 “no limits” international tattoo expo, cultural encounter: san francisco museum of modern art, cultural activity: chrysler museum of art, vintage pager for mohammed bin jassim house, “here, but not now” by kaminska and nesselroth-woyzbun, national gallery of art: cultural activity, banksy exhibition in toronto: art exploration.

• Words: 1031

Bellini, Titian, and Lotto North Italian Paintings

Islamic art: design an art exhibition, art exhibition in contemporary society.

• Words: 2242

57th Street Galleries and the New Museum, Manhattan

• Words: 1164

Running a Museum: Inventories and Documentation

Raymond m. alf museum of paleontology, made in china 2017 exhibition.

• Words: 1413

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: Exhibitions

A visit to the holocaust museum in washington dc, a visit to the museum of tolerance in la, academic conference: janet echelman’s sculptures.

• Words: 1124

Penn Museum Exhibition of Mediterranean World

National museum of natural history at the smithsonian institution, the digital arts net flag exhibition by mark napier.

• Words: 1398

Exhibition Chicago: Crossroads of America

Cantor arts center’s sculpture exhibitions, interactive design of museum exhibitions.

• Words: 2302

The Whitney, David Zwirner’s and Pierogi Galleries

• Words: 1624

Virginia Holocaust Museum’s Genocide Presentation

Virginia holocaust museum trip and experience, virginia holocaust museum field: trip reflection, boston museum of fine arts’ marketing challenges, art exhibitions and the impact that they leave.

• Words: 2229

Etihad Museum: All You Need to Know

• Words: 1558

Norton Simon Museum Exhibition

Montreal museum of contemporary art’s exhibitions.

• Words: 1217

Exhibition: Andy Warhol – the Master of Transforming

Hierarchy and value in crocker art museum.

• Words: 1493

Prayer Rug of Ottoman Period in Saint Louis Art Museum

Islamic art of armor: persian hauberk of mail, dance and architecture in “ballet pas de deux” exhibition.

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essay Examples >
• Essays Topics >
• Essay on Art

Example Of Essay On Art Exhibition

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Art , Body , Youth , World , Human , Teenagers , Artists , Sculpture

Words: 2000

Published: 03/05/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

Introduction - Theme

Art is all about celebrating something, and what better way than celebrating oneself. The human body is one of the most complex, alluring and fascinating things on earth, so many artists are naturally drawn towards the body. There are may artworks that celebrate the human body as the underlying theme. These paintings and sculptures have a sense of honesty around them, and they show humans simply as they are. and fascinating things on earth. This art exhibition uses the human body as a theme to highlight the many issues surrounding physical abuse, sexuality and a general lack of appreciation for the physical body. Around the world today, women are being abused in every way possible, ranging from rape to domestic violence. Every minute a woman is raped, molested or abused, and this is a serious issue facing our society today.. Sadly, it is also the most neglected one as it has been accepted asbecome a way of life in many societies. To draw attention to this issue, this art exhibition celebrates human body and its value. Another related issue is sexuality. LGBT discrimination and same-sex marriage protests have become a common feature, and this is because of the lack of understanding of what is sexuality. Again, this lack of understanding stems from a complete lack of appreciation for the human body and its myriad needs. Therefore, this art exhibition brings the focus back to the human body, and the may ways in which its beauty can be expressed. Lastly, obesity has become rampant around the world. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that one in three persons around the world is obese. This obesity problem stems from a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet and negligible physical activity. The root cause of the problem is again the neglect of human body. Most people fail to understand how beautiful the human body is, so they do not take any steps to maintain it. Through this exhibition, the organizers want to draw attention to this aspect of the body too, and the problems that come with its neglect. Therefore, this art exhibition brings the focus back to the human body, and the may ways in which its beauty can be expressed. To draw attention to this issue, this art exhibition celebrates human body and its value. Many artists are naturally drawn towards the body. There are many artworks that celebrate the human body as the underlying theme. These paintings and sculptures have a sense of honesty around them, and they show humans simply as they are.

Below is a depiction of some body- based artworks by prominent artists around the world.

Charles Ray Charles Ray was born in 1953. He is a renowned artist who is well-known for his sculptures. He works with altered and refashioned objects to give the sculptures a natural feel. He is a Los Angeles-based sculpture who is known for his strange ideas and enigmatic expressions. Unlike many other artists, Ray does not have a fixed style or a limited set of materials. The entire world is open for him, and he picks his topics to reflect this openness. Also, he uses a wide range of materials for his works. A unique aspect of Ray is that he uses the developments that have taken place in the twentieth century as the theme for many of his art workspaintings. His works are displayed in North America and Europe, and he has a big following for his art piecesworks. In 2009Recently, Ray did his first outdoor commissioned work at the Punta Della Dogana in Venice, Italy. This work is called the Boy with a Frog, and as the name implies, this sculpture has a boy holding a big Goliath frog near the Grand Canal. This sculpture is big in size, and has a smooth white finish to it. A salient aspect of this sculpture is that is based on a unique tradition of marble sculpture. This kind of sculpture had its origins in Italy, and this is why this piece reflects an important part of the Italian tradition. TheThe sculpture is akin to to the statue of Apollo Sauroktonos, a Roman sculpture present in the Musee de Louvre in Paris. In this statue, a young adolescent boy reaches his arms to catch a lizard that is climbing up a tree. Drawing inspiration from this sculpture, he created this one to depict modern times. Also, the fact that his sculpture is nude appreciates the beauty of the human body and its oneness with the nature around it. The backdrop of the Grand Canal is a perfect setting for this sculpture. Source: http://www.matthewmarks.com/new-york/artists/charles-ray/selected-works/#/images/13/

Raymond Pettibon

Raymond Pettibon was born in 1957. He is an American artist well-known for his punk images and. He is well-known for his pencil sketches using India ink on paper. Most, ad most of his early works are in black and white, though the last few years has also seen some color in it. His work embraces many aspects of American culture and values, and depicts it in the form of humor. His common themes include baseball players, marginal youth culture, environment, and sexuality and sports. He is an avid sports fan himself, and this is evident in many of his pictures where there is some element of sports in it. This sports theme can be from the athletic frame of the people in the picture to the act they are performing, but some pieces of it will be present in most works (Hoby, 2013). In the painting below, Pettibon depicts the callousness of Americans towards the environment. This painting sarcastically targets people who excessively worry about the environment, and also those who completely do not care for it. The idea behind this painting is to show the so-called final end for the human race where the world is burning, and the handful of remaining people are running hither and thither for a place to live. The words, “Land or Water – Either Will Do!” summarizes the idea of the painting. As with all his work, the people on the painting are athletic. However, they have a grim face because they are looking for somewhere to live. In one sense, this painting emphasizes the need to be fit and active because they need this energy to save themselves from a possible catastrophe in the future. Source: http://www.raypettibon.com/main.html

Chris Burden

Chris Burden was born in 1946. He is an important America artist who is popular for the radical approaches taken to depict body art. His work has featured in any prominent museums around the world such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His art works include sculpture and installation art. Many of his work continues to inspire young artists to create body work with an underlying sociopolitical message. One of the best-known works of Burden is a 1974 piece called Trans-fixed. In this artwork, Burden lies on a Volkswagen with his arms stretched over the roof. There are nails on Burden's palm, similar to the crucifixion of Jesus, with the difference being that it is on a Volkswagen and not on a cross. This idea behind this image was to use a little bit of humor to invoke feelings andor religious martyrdom. It also shows the human body in new light, and more importantly, the mental and physical connection that exists with pain. By experiencing this type of pain andad vulnerability, Burden in many ways, has brought the horror behind such acts, thereby making it more knowable to his audience. Through this picture, he wanted to bring out the collective fears that exist in society, and the way it is used to keep people under check. Therefore, the idea is that the human body is not governed by the laws that exist in the society, rather by the mind that controls it (wtfarthistory.com, no date). Another unique aspect about this image is that he uses his own body to get the message across, and this is not something see commonly among artists. For this reason, and also for its simplicity and resounding message, this piece is popular. Source: http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/chris-burden-extreme-measures

Mike Kelley

Mike Kelly is an American artist who extensively used objects, textiles, drawing and collages to express his thoughts and ideas on American culture and youth. He was an influential artist who inspired many young artists to take to this form of art. Born in 954 in Wayne Michigan, Kelly drew his inspiration from many different sources such as working-class expressions, history, philosophy and politics. He died in 2012 of an apparent suicide, andad has left behind an art legacy. The Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts established in 2008 continues to support young artists with their innovations and endeavors. Mike Kelley is well-known for bringing new dimensions to art. One of his well-known works is called Half A Man, and it was completed in 1987. In this work, he bought hand dolls and stuffed animals from thrift stores, and sewedsew it together in jammed clusters. He also used old blankets and afghans to bring out different emotions in each of the human bodies (Cotter, 2013). The idea behind this artwork was to depict the human body in a new light, using materials that are available everywhere. It is also in some ways, a lesson in recycling for budding artists. With a double connotation of human body and reusable nature of products, Kelly has set a new mark for himself. This artwork also has brings out the traditions of art-making in the church. Such works are used in contemporary churches, but this one takes the ideas of obedience and strength to new levels, that cannot be done within the context of the church (The Renaissance Society, 1998). Source: http://soosanjoon.blogspot.in/2012/02/rip-mike-kelley-1954-2012.html

In short, the above gallery of images show how different artists have used the human body to bring out their skills, and at the same time, convey a message to viewers. Whether it is political satire or environment issues, these images have had a profound impact on art-lovers around the world. More importantly, these artists have inspired young people to take to art, and to use the human body as a canvass for all expressions. It is hoped that this exhibition brings the focus back on the human bodies, and helps societies to appreciate its beauty and resilience. Such appreciation can go a long way in inducing more respect for the body than before, that in turn, will bring down the physical abuse and atrocities.

Cotter, Holland. (October 17, 2013). The Show's As Big As His Career. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/arts/design/mike-kelley-a-survey-at-moma-ps1-in-queens.html No author. (1988). Mike Kelley: Three Projects. The Renaissance Society. Retrieved from: http://www.renaissancesociety.org/site/Exhibitions/Intro.Mike-Kelley-Three-Projects-Half-a-Man-From-My-Institution-HYPERLINK "http://www.renaissancesociety.org/site/Exhibitions/Intro.Mike-Kelley-Three-Projects-Half-a-Man-From-My-Institution-to-Yours-and-Pay-for-Your-Pleasure.110.html"to-Yours-and-Pay-for-Your-Pleasure.110.html No author. (No date). Crucified on a Volkswagen Beetle. WTF Art History. Retrieved from: http://wtfarthistory.com/post/14HYPERLINK "http://wtfarthistory.com/post/14868420227/crucified-on-a-volkswagen-beetle"868420227/crucified-on-a-volkswagen-beetle Hoby, Hermione. (December 14, 2013). Raymond Pettibon: Punk With A Pencil. The Guardian. Retrieved from: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/dec/14/raymond-pettibon-sonic-youth-black-flag

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 428

This paper is created by writer with

ID 270493163

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Capital argumentative essays, warfare course work, tale course work, kingdom course work, perfection course work, camp course work, strife course work, infection course work, signal course work, free essay about deviance and violence, free research paper about general causes of traffic crashes, free course work about social corporate responsibility, the legal status in different countries research paper example, free essay on drug legalization in the us, beneficial critical essay examples, term paper on digital media, example of course work on leadership ethics and policing in criminal law, free essay about man on the moon, free substance abuse in cultural groups case study example, free presonal statment personal statement example, hodkinson ch 13 essay example, good example of book review on brave new world analysis, mlk jrs i have a dream speech essay sample, female circumcision what are the issues essay samples, song of myself enigma or legacy by earnest kinne essays example, good example of the agency essay, findings reports example 2, good book response essay example, world war one understanding the alliances research paper examples, free course work on the evolution theories, example of torture and interrogation essay, product functionality is the key to brand success essay, free the book quot beloved quot by toni morrison book review sample, beresford essays, physical punishments essays, the destruction essays, nurturing essays, customer relations essays, leadership skills essays, peer influence essays, the fall essays, pulmonary essays, the criterion essays.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Arts and Entertainment
• Art Studies

How to Write an Art Exhibition Review

Last Updated: December 29, 2023 Approved

How to Draft Your Review

How to revise your review, best practices for viewing an art exhibit, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Kelly Medford and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 95% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 301,281 times.

Art exhibition reviews provide a description and critical analysis of an art exhibit. This helps visitors know what to expect from the exhibit and gives feedback to the artist. To write an effective art exhibition review, visit the exhibit, take detailed notes, and talk to the artist, a docent, or a curator, if possible. Then, discuss your observations and opinions in your review and revise your work before finalizing it.

Things You Should Know

• Provide the who, what, where, when, and why of the exhibit in your introduction to paint a clear picture for the reader.
• Give a detailed description of the exhibit, including how each piece is displayed, so readers can know what to expect.
• Take a critical look at the exhibit and offer your opinions on the exhibit. Mention if it was successful in portraying its core themes and ideas.

• Write, “Agatha Tompkin’s The Friends You Have opened at the Contemporary Art Center on Friday, August 23rd and runs through November 1st. Her watercolors and mixed media works explore modern relationships and how communities differ.”

• You might say, “Tompkin’s watercolors are grouped on two adjacent walls in simple 11 by 14 in (28 by 36 cm) black frames. Hanging on the opposite walls, her mixed-media work consists of 5 by 7 ft (1.5 by 2.1 m) canvases that are arranged in a line. Visitors can walk alongside the artwork for a visual experience.”

Tip: While many artworks are meant to be viewed, there are other ways to interact with art. Sometimes art is meant to be listened to, and you may be immersed in an installation. Think about how you’re interacting with the artwork in this exhibit.

• Explain the artist’s stated thesis and how well they expressed it in their exhibit.
• Identify parts of the exhibit that worked well. If there were works that didn’t support the main idea, explain how the artist could have better incorporated them.
• Consider how this exhibit relates to art history as a whole. Where would it fit in? How does this art compare to existing works? How does it express common themes?

• For instance, a curator may not face any unique challenges while hanging framed oil paintings on a wall. However, they might struggle with installing a sculpture that hangs from the ceiling or an installation that has moving parts.
• You might write, “While the framed watercolors were easy to hang on the exhibit walls, the curators struggled to install the single mixed-media sculpture that Tompkins created from found objects. The sculpture is designed to look like it’s floating between the ceiling and the floor, so it must be hung using thin wires.”

• If this is for class, your instructor likely told you which style guide to use. Format your paper and any citations that you use according to the rules for that style guide.

• Don’t ask someone who’s unfamiliar with art exhibition reviews to critique your paper because they may unintentionally give you bad advice.

• Reading your review aloud will help you spot areas that don’t flow well. Re-write these sentences to make them better.

• Try to get someone else to proofread it for you because it’s hard to spot your own errors.

• If you have any questions, ask your instructor so that you don’t accidentally make an error on your assignment.

• Make several passes through the exhibit so you can make new observations and connections between the works.
• Look at the art from different angles and distances. While it’s important to examine each piece closely, you also want to take in the entire exhibit as a whole to see how the artist evoked their theme.

• Document how the artist created each image, such as how they used lines, shapes, colors, shading, textures, patterns, and light. You’ll use this information to develop your discussion on form.

Ask yourself questions like:

Why are the works of art ordered or arranged this way?

Does a particular work stand out from the rest?

Is there a theme or a subtext to the exhibition?

Does the theme or thesis become obvious as I walk through the space?

How is this exhibition different from others I've seen?

• Ask yourself questions like the following: Based on what I see, what do I think the artist is trying to say? What does the exhibit make me think about? How do I feel?

• Ask a docent questions like, “What was the artist hoping to achieve in this exhibit?” “What inspired the artist to create these works?” and “What are the core pieces of this exhibit?”
• Ask a curator questions like, “Why did you arrange the artwork like this?” “What challenges did you face while installing the exhibit?” and “What instructions did the artist give for hanging their work?”

• For instance, do you notice visitors avoiding a certain piece? Are they drawn to some pieces more than others? Which pieces are generating conversation? What types of comments do you overhear?
• If you’re planning to publish your review, ask fellow visitors to give you quotes that you can use for your review. Get their name so you can credit them.

• Wait until after you view the exhibit so that your initial impressions aren’t influenced by the artist.

Tip: Read the artist statement for more insight into what inspired the exhibit.

• Your review should focus on your own ideas, not on what other people said.

• Read art exhibition reviews written by professional critics to help you understand the typical format. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Always have materials ready for taking notes or recording conversations. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't overuse superlatives. If you fall into the trap of calling every artwork you see "breathtaking," "magnificent" or "flawless," you'll soon come off as an uninformed critic. Likewise, calling everything you dislike "appalling," "disgusting," or "terrible" will undermine your ideas. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.ocadu.ca/Assets/content/teaching-learning/WLC/Online+Resources/Writing+Art+Reviews.pdf
• ↑ https://ualr.edu/art/art-history-resources/papers-and-projects/guidelines-for-analysis-of-art/
• ↑ http://arthistoryteachingresources.org/2017/09/museums-writing-exhibition-reviews/
• ↑ https://www.uwgb.edu/malloyk/art_criticism_and_formal_analysi.htm
• ↑ http://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene/art112/Readings/Writing_a_Review_of_an_Exhibition.pdf

About This Article

To write an art exhibition review, start with an introductory paragraph that introduces a thesis about the exhibit. Then, break the body of your review up into individual sections that each focus on specific artwork in the exhibition. In each section, make sure you include descriptions of the art, your analysis and interpretation of the artwork, a consideration of the space it was displayed in, and finally your evaluation. To conclude your review, write a conclusion that ties together your main points and summarizes your review. To learn how to analyze and critique an art exhibit, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Prabuddha Ghosh

Jun 7, 2019

Did this article help you?

Jessica Perez

Oct 9, 2017

Nov 7, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Art Essay Examples

Art Essay Examples to Get You Inspired - Top 10 Samples

Published on: May 4, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 30, 2024

Share this article

Are you struggling to come up with ideas for your art essay? Or are you looking for examples to help guide you in the right direction? 

Look no further, as we have got you covered!

In this blog, we provide a range of art writing examples that cover different art forms, time periods, and themes. Whether you're interested in the classics or contemporary art, we have something for everyone. These examples offer insight into how to structure your essay, analyze art pieces, and write compelling arguments.

So, let's explore our collection of art essay examples and take the first step toward becoming a better art writer!

On This Page On This Page -->

Good Art Essay Examples

In the following section, we will examine a selection of art essay examples that are inspiring for various academic levels.

College Art Essay Examples

Let’s take a look at college art essay examples below:  

The Intersection of Art and Politics: An Analysis of Picasso's Guernica

The Role of Nature in American Art: A Comparative Study

University Art Essay Examples

University-level art essay assignments often differ in length and complexity. Here are two examples:

Gender and Identity in Contemporary Art: A Comparative Study

Art and Activism: The Role of Street Art in Political Movements

A Level Art Essay Examples

Below are some art paper examples A level. Check out: 

The Use Of Color In Wassily Kandinsky's Composition Viii

The Influence of African Art on Pablo Picasso's Les Demoiselles D'avignon

A Level Fine Art Essay Examples

If you're a student of fine arts, these A-level fine arts examples can serve as inspiration for your own work.

The Use Of Texture In Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night

Exploring Identity Through Portraiture: A Comparative Study

Art Essay Examples IELTS 

The Impact of Art on Mental Health

The Effects of Technology on Art And Creativity

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

AP Art Essay Examples

A Comparison of Neoclassical and Romantic Art

An Examination Of The Effects Of Globalization On Contemporary Art

Types of Art Essay with Examples

Art essays can be categorized into different types. Let's take a brief look at these types with examples:

Art Criticism Essay : A critical essay analyzing and evaluating an artwork, its elements, and its meaning.

The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali: A Critical Analysis

Art History Essay: A comprehensive essay that examines the historical context, development, and significance of an artwork or art movement.

The Renaissance: A Rebirth of Artistic Expression

Exhibition Review: A review of an art exhibition that evaluates the quality and significance of the artwork on display.

A Review of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Exhibition

Contemporary Art Essay: An essay that explores and analyzes contemporary art and its cultural and social context.

The Intersection of Technology and Art in Contemporary Society

Modern Art Essay: An essay that examines modern art and its significance in the development of modernism.

Cubism and its Influence on Modern Art [insert pdf]

Art Theory Essay: An essay that analyzes and critiques various theories and approaches to art.

Feminist Art Theory: A Critical Analysis of its Impact on Contemporary Art [insert pdf]

Additional Art Essay Example

Let’s take a brief look at some added art essay samples:

Artwork Essay Example

Artist Essay Example

Advanced Higher Art Essay Example

Common Art Essay Prompts

Here are some common art essay topics that you may encounter during your coursework:

• Describe a piece of artwork that has inspired you.
• A comparative analysis of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Michelangelo's David.
• Analyze the cultural significance of a particular art movement.
• Discuss the relationship between art and politics.
• Compare and contrast two works of art from different time periods or cultures.
• The representation of identity in art
• The Evolution of Artists' Paintings:
• From Traditional to Contemporary Art
• The representation of identity in Frida Kahlo's self-portraits.
• The significance of oil on canvas in the history of art.
• The significance of the Mona Lisa in the Italian Renaissance

Art Essay Topics IELTS

Here are some art essay topics for IELTS students. Take a look: 

• The value of art education.
• The role of museums in preserving art and culture.
• The impact of globalization on contemporary art.
• The influence of technology on art and artists.
• The significance of public art in urban environments.

Tips For Writing a Successful Art Essay

Here are some tips for writing a stand-out art essay:

• Develop a clear thesis statement that guides your essay: Your thesis statement should clearly and concisely state the main argument of your essay.
• Conduct thorough research and analysis of the artwork you are writing about : This includes examining the visual elements of the artwork, researching the artist, and considering the historical significance.
• Use formal and precise language to discuss the artwork: Avoid using colloquial language and instead focus on using formal language to describe the artwork.
• Include specific examples from the artwork to support your arguments: Use specific details from the artwork to back up your analysis.
• Avoid personal bias and subjective language: Your essay should be objective and avoid using personal opinions or subjective language.
• Consider the historical and cultural context of the artwork: Analyze the artwork in the context of the time period and cultural context in which they were created.
• Edit and proofread your essay carefully before submitting it: Ensure your essay is well-organized, coherent, and free of grammatical errors and typos.
• Use proper citation format when referencing sources: Follow the appropriate citation style guidelines and give credit to all sources used in your essay.
• Be concise and focused in your writing: Stick to your main thesis statement and avoid going off-topic or including irrelevant information.
• Read your essay aloud to ensure clarity and coherence: Reading your essay out loud can help you identify inconsistencies or any other mistakes.

The Bottom Line!

We hope that the art essay examples we've explored have provided you with inspiration for your own essay. Art offers endless possibilities for analysis, and your essay is a chance to showcase your unique opinions.

Use these examples as a guide to craft an essay that reflects your personality while demonstrating your knowledge of the subject.

Short on time? Let CollegeEssay.org help you! All you have to do is to ask our experts, " write college essay for me " and they'll help you secure top grades in college.

Don't wait, reach out to our art essay writing service.

Take the first step towards excellence in your art studies with our AI essay writer !

Cathy A. (Literature)

For more than five years now, Cathy has been one of our most hardworking authors on the platform. With a Masters degree in mass communication, she knows the ins and outs of professional writing. Clients often leave her glowing reviews for being an amazing writer who takes her work very seriously.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Legal & Policies

• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Terms of Use
• Refunds & Cancellations
• Our Writers
• Success Stories
• Our Guarantees
• Affiliate Program
• Referral Program
• AI Essay Writer

Disclaimer: All client orders are completed by our team of highly qualified human writers. The essays and papers provided by us are not to be used for submission but rather as learning models only.

Art Museum University of Toronto — Justina M. Barnicke Gallery University of Toronto Art Centre

Exhibition Essays

The Art Museum produces essays written by artists, curators, and art writers to accompany our exhibitions. Through these activities we contribute to the advancement of art scholarship and widen the dissemination and access to knowledge and information, which in turn furthers the original research we perform to produce our exhibitions.

Plastic Heart: Surface All the Way Through

September 8–November 20, 2021

Alternative Convention: Top Value Television’s Four More Years

September 8–October 9, 2021

Open Windows

October 27–November 20, 2021

2020 MVS Studio Program Graduate Exhibition

October 28–November 21, 2020

The exhaustive thought

Overt: Militarization as Ideology

If a Turtle Could Talk

Lorenza Bottner: Requiem for the Norm

January 25, 2020–March 21, 2020

Listening to Snow

January 18, 2020–March 21, 2020

Qaggiq: Gathering Place Exhibition Brochure

September 4 – November 30, 2019

God of Gods: A Canadian Play Exhibition Brochure

Variations in Black, Queer, and Otherwise: Works by Abdi Osman Exhibition Brochure

June 5 – July 27, 2019

In and Out of Saskatchewan Exhibition Brochure

Exhibition Essay Examples

We have 7 free papers on exhibition for you, essay examples, john currin exhibition essay (503 words).

In His painting called Hobo (1999) exhibited at MOCA, Museum of Comtemporay Art) Downtown San Diego, the size of the painting was about 3 feet by 2 feet, a moderate-sized canvas paintings. . Framed with thick wooden round frames painted in creamy white color, presenting a naive, child-like object that is just harmless approach to…

The Importance of the Great Exhibition of 1851

Supply some inside informations of the Great Exhibition of 1851, and say why it was so of import. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the world’s first universe expounding. The Great Exhibition of 1851 was an international exhibition that took topographic point in Hyde Park, London. The 1851 was means the old ages and The…

Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition Essay

The Museum of Art Gallery located within Washington State University’s campus is currently presenting the Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition. This exhibit will be held from April 10th to May 9th. The Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibit is divided into six different sections. Each section includes and displays exclusive works of art created…

Birmingham Museum Of Art: Pompeii Exhibition Essay

The quote above comes to us from one of the letters of Pliny the Younger, the namesake of the man who was the commander of the Roman Fleet in 79 A.D. Pliny the Elder was last seen by his nephew as he prepared to sail across the Bay of Naples to Pompeii; the older man…

Ian McKellen: poised between exhibitionism and greatness Essay

Knighthood hasn’t changed Ian McKellen’s passion for barnstorming. The headline-making British actor, who’s old enough to know better, actually made touring a condition of his return to London’s Royal National Theatre back in 1990, when artistic director Richard Eyre asked him aboard. He got his wish. The National’s critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s Richard III,…

Exhibitions now hanging Essay (527 words)

It is with a great deal of pleasure that the Detroit Museum of Art is able to place on exhibition in one of the East galleries, an exhibition of proof engravings by Henry Wolf, N. A., loaned from his own portfolio. There are forty-five subjects, many of them after world-famous masterpieces, and as well, a…

Leonardo Da Vinci Drawings on Exhibition Essay

Leonardo Da Vinci

In Gallery 25 the Venetian and Bolognese drawings have been replaced by otherdrawings from the Museum collection. The present exhibition is chosen from thechools of Parma, Milan, and Genoa, and one wall is given over to the school ofRaphael. Among these is the back of a nude man by Raphael himself, made durng his stay…

Frequently Asked Questions

Feel free to contact us, we are always here to help you!

Hi, my name is Amy 👋

In case you can't find a relevant example, our professional writers are ready to help you write a unique paper. Just talk to our smart assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best match.

Writing Exhibition Texts

Title labels identify the name of the exhibition. The best titles will arouse interest and curiosity and give enough information to enable visitors to decide whether they are interested enough in the subject matter to enter… Beverly Serrell, Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach

A good title should clearly introduce the topic and content of the exhibition, but at the same time it should be sufficiently distinctive to spark potential visitors’ curiosity. Peruse the sites listed below for some good examples.

• The Perlman Teaching Museum
• Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum
• The Walker Art Center
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts
• The Bell Museum of Natural History

Brief Description

It is helpful to write a brief description of your exhibition. This description can be used in brochures, on websites, blogs, or other publicity venues and can also appear on a poster. The brief description should only be two or three sentences long, and articulate the main idea of the exhibition and why it is important or interesting.

Example Descriptions

Organized by the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul,  Our Treasures  features 30 of the top artworks in the MMAA collection, chosen by the museum’s executive director Kristin Makholm. The exhibition includes works by such artists as Paul Manship, Robert Henri, Grant Wood, Louise Nevelson, George Morrison, Christo, and Wing Young Huie.

(From Our Treasures: Highlights from the Minnesota Museum of American Art )

In  Running the Numbers , artist Chris Jordan creates intricate photographic prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs, visually depicting statistics that dramatize aspects of contemporary American culture.

(From Running the Numbers: Portraits of Mass Consumption )

Presenting contemporary art, historical books and photographs, charts, and scientific visualizations, this exhibition considers the powerful role of vision and the visual in exploring celestial realms. Artists and scientists, seeking truth beyond the visible and the tangible, offer fresh perspectives on astronomy and give new life to poetic celestial metaphors.

(From Seeing is Knowing: The Universe )

Introduction

Introductory or orientation labels set up the organization and tone of the exhibition…Quick, clear orientation is a very important feature for visitors, but many people will not stop to read a long introduction because they are being drawn into the exhibit by many competing sights, objects, and sounds… Beverly Serrell,  Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach

An introduction placed near the entrance is a useful way to unite and provide context for an exhibition, but brevity is the key.  It is recommended that introductions be limited to 150 words or less, as is the case with the examples below.

Example Introductions

Mali is a thriving center for photography in Africa. Since studio portraitists Seydou Keïta and Malick Sidibé were embraced by the international art market in the 1990s, a local art photography movement has blossomed. In 1994, Bamako became home to the pan-African photography Biennale, focusing the spotlight on native talent and on continent-wide achievements in the medium. Every two years, the Biennale has also spawned additional photography programs, institutions and exhibition opportunities.

Photographing the Social Body embodies the fruitful collaboration between curators Laurel Bradley, Director and Curator of the Perlman Teaching Museum, and Allison M. Moore of the University of South Florida, a scholar who focuses on Malian photography since the establishment of the Biennale. Candace Keller of Michigan State University contributed her expertise on studio-based photographers to the project. The exhibition depends on the talents and generosity of the photographers in the exhibition, and others in Mali who assisted the curators while in Bamako.

(From Photographing the Social Body: Malian Portraiture from the Studio to the Street )

What happens when 21st century students, some exploring photographic portraiture and the others reading 19th century British novels, employ contemporary photographic techniques to create portraits of the novels’ characters?

This interdisciplinary exhibition celebrated the creative collaborations between students in John Schott’s Digital Photography Workshop and students in Susan Jaret McKinstry’s Victorian Novel.

The 19th century was the age of the novel. These novels explored the issues of the day, including science, religion, political and social reform, gender, identity, and the role of art. The novels shaped readers, education, printing practices, and social history around the world, and they are still widely read, translated into many languages, reprinted in new illustrated editions, redesigned as graphic novels, and reinterpreted in film versions.

The 19th century was also the age of photography. In 1839, Daguerre took the first photograph of a person, and by mid-century photography was a popular and expensive hobby. Photography was an essential element of Victorian novels, with author portraits as frontispieces, advertisements, and posed “character” portraits as selling points for the novel’s truthfulness and social force.

(From Direct Address: 19th Century Characters, 21st Century Portraits )

Group Labels

Section or group labels inform visitors of the rationale behind a subgrouping of objects, paintings, or animals. Why are these things shown together? is a common question in the backs of visitors’ minds, and it needs to be answered to help visitors feel comfortable, competent, and in control of their own experiences… Beverly Serrell,  Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach

Example Group Label – “Democracy”

The art of the 1980s was shaped profoundly by an exploration of democracy. Although it is an ideal held sacred by many, democracy is also challenging, for at its core it asks us to respect and protect the rights of those we disagree with.

For many artists, public spaces such as the street became arenas in which to facilitate encounters with art outside of the rarified space of the museum, and in this section we see artworks that use posters, graffiti, and everyday language to broadcast a social message as widely as possible. This interest in the public sphere was complicated by many artists’ observation that, increasingly, television was replacing the street or the public square as a primary site of democratic debate.

Some artists grappled with the new role of the mass media in both political and artistic arenas. The issue of belonging—of who has rights to what, where, and when—lies at the heart of the democratic enterprise. Such issues were to be sorely tested in the 1980s along numerous fronts. Several artists whose work appears in this section made explicit use of immanent critique, a strategy, exemplified by the civil rights movement, that attempts to hold government responsible for remaining true to its highest principles.

What all of the artists represented here shared was the belief that art can and should serve as a catalyst for philosophical and political debate.

(From This Will Have Been: Art, Love, & Politics in the 1980s )

Object Captions

Captions are specific labels for specific objects (e.g., artifacts, photos, and phenomena), and they are commonly used in all types of museum exhibitions. Captions are the “frontline” form of interpretive labels because many visitors wander around in exhibits, without attending to the linear or hierarchical organization of information (title, introduction, section label). If visitors stop by only when something catches their attention, the information in caption labels must make sense independently–as well as work harmoniously with all the other labels. Beverly Serrell,  Exhibit Labels: An Interpretive Approach

For examples, please see this PDF of captions from past Carleton exhibitions .

Exhibition essay

Heather Stivison: Seeds of Change

Contributed by Kathy Imlay / Heather Stivison’s paintings in “Seeds of Change: Paintings of Climate Change and Hope”, imply unseen possibilities for restoring the natural balance of our planet. In her first New York solo exhibition—on view at Pleiades Gallery in Chelsea through April 15, also and as an online exclusive with Imlay Gallery — Stivison explores the notion of seeds from both literal and metaphorical perspectives. She sees potential for change hidden within us as seeds buried in the ground, both filled with untapped promise. 

Riad Miah: My eyes just heard my brain

Contributed by Sharon Butler / As I walk through the dimly lit space behind an elegantly nostalgic bespoke clothing store on the Lower East Side, I feel as if I’ve landed in Desperately Seeking Susan, the iconic film starring Madonna that captured New York creative life of the 1980s. On the other side of a worn red curtain looms Riad Miah’s bright, busy studio. Confronting me is a plethora of colorful canvases, covered with writhing shapes, floating freely on irregular canvases.

Jamie Madison: A walk in the flatlands

Contributed by Sharon Butler / At the beginning of the pandemic, when Jamie Madison’s Bay Area studio was less accessible, she settled into her home studio in a rural area of Northern California and got a puppy. Behind her house lay the wild, oak-studded riparian woodland of Putah Creek, and in the front conventional orchards and farms stretched for miles.

Jennifer Riley’s Machine Series paintings

Contributed by Sharon Butler / When Brooklyn artist Jennifer Riley began making large-scale abstract paintings using discarded laser-cut pieces of steel, she connected with a century of artists preoccupied with the deconstructed machine. They ranged from post-World War I Dadaists like Raoul Hausmann and Francis Picabia whose images of humans […]

Selected Gallery Guides

New York City: APRIL 2024

Hudson Valley & vicinity: April 2024

Latest Posts

Hudson valley (and vicinity) selected gallery guide: may 2024, nyc selected gallery guide: may 2024, lucy puls: meaning in obsolescence, joe bradley: merging night and day, xingze li and sarah pater: extraordinarily quotidian, ian myers: a painter’s faith, farrell brickhouse: the beat goes on, mary carlson: timelessly medieval, what makes a good painting, lee maxey: teasing out the uneasy.

Two Coats wants to warmly thank all readers who contributed to the Two Coats of Paint 2023 Annual Fundraising Campaign. We couldn’t continue publishing without you.

Popular Posts

NYC Selected Gallery Guide: April 2024

Joan Thorne, painter and artist

Janice Biala’s epochal studio

Richard Serra’s complicated legacy

Robert Moskowitz’s visual quartet

Two coats on instagram.

twocoatsofpaint

Get Two Coats via email

Two coats of paint.

• About / Contact
• Advertising
• HV Gallery Map

• Toggle navigation

• Course Policies
• Blogging Guidelines
• Slide Lists
• Image Files
• Exam and Study Guide
• Sample Questions for Exam 1
• Grading Rubric for Papers

Sample Exhibition Review

• Museum Paper Assignment
• Narrative Art: 4-Icon Challenge
• Extra Credit Assignments
• Announcements
• Discussion Topic

Below you will find a sample review by a student. The student received an A- for the exhibition review grade.

The review is a short paper therefore avoid using long quotes from wall texts in the exhibition or brochures, and outside sources (which you must cite). Look carefully and use your own words to communicate what you find compelling or weak about the exhibition. Provide descriptive details to give your reader an ‘insider’s’ view of the exhibition.

Sample Exhibition Review For the exhibition review project, I went to the International Center of Photography and saw the Harper’s Bazaar: A Decade of Style exhibit. I decided to see this exhibit because I love fashion. I actually felt like a kid in a candy store. It is something I want to pursue in the future and I am really interested and I thought it would cool to see fashion in another form and perspective. When I first walked into the exhibit I was greeted by a huge sign the said “HARPER’S BAZAAR”…and it gave a brief background on the magazine, its editor and a few of the photographers that have contributed to the magazine over the years. Some of those photographers are Karl Lagerfeld, whom is the mind behind Chanel and Fendi, Peter Lindbergh, Jean-Paul Goude, David Bailey, William Klein, Patrick Demarchelier, Sølve Sundsbø, Tim Walker, Mario Sorrenti, Hiro, and Melvin Sokolsky. Many of the photos also included some designers and celebrities as well including Marc Jacobs and Lady Gaga, my favorites.

Going to the exhibit I got to look at the pictures differently. Instead of looking at them as if just flicking through a magazine, I actually paid attention to detail, the way the photo was taken, and what might be the meaning behind them. For instance in one particular photo by Nan Goldin, Marc Jacobs at the Plaza Hotel NYC, Sept 2010, when looking at the photo you feel a sense of emotion in Marc’s facial expression. The camera is focused on him sitting in a chair in his towel, with dim lighting. He looks as if he’s in deep thought and the background helps play into mood of the picture and the room. You also get a sense of personality from the picture and you can feel what he feels through the picture. I think that’s why this picture stuck out to me so much because looking at it; it just attracts you and draws you in. Another photograph that gave me that effect as well was Diane, May 2011, by Chuck Close, which was a close up picture of fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg’s face and you can see every bit of emotion in her face because you can see everything in her face like the lines that form to make up an expression. I thought this picture was interesting because since it was a close up, they’re usually in black & white but this one was in color which made it feel real and felt like you were looking at the person and not just a picture of portrait. The object of the show was to show fashion through photographs and how to incorporate the two to come out with something wonderful. I all around enjoyed the exhibit; it was interesting and did a good job of showing incorporating fashion and photography, I just wish that the exhibit was bigger and had more to show. The International Center of Photography Museum isn’t really a big place and they had two other exhibits in the building so they had to share the space.

I also learned things that I didn’t know; I had no idea that Karl Lagerfeld was a photographer. I liked how the pictures were displayed around the room, all of the walls were covered with pictures, the two longest walls had big portrait type pictures on them and the smaller walls had pages from the actual magazine on them, and then at the corners of the room and in the middle of the floors there were glass cases that held magazines some open to certain pages and some showing just the covers. The format of the room added to the exhibit, it gave it some movement since the pictures can’t move. All of the photographs were different sizes which also added to the different shapes and styles that were portrayed in the photographs. The room also had different colors on the walls that contrasted with the colors in the photographs such as Stephanie Seymour, Feb 2002, by Patrick Demarchelier, an Andy Warhol style photo, yellow background, prominent red lips and blue eye shadow with a blue tinted shadow outlined the figure. The colors are so bright that they pop out at you as soon as you see it, that you couldn’t miss the photo at all. I really liked how this exhibit and the photographers used color, they didn’t use boring and ordinary colors, they used colors that would get you thinking and wondering why they did what they did and keep you interested.

I also think that the way the museum placed the pictures was a way to attract the visitors. Next to the big sign that gave a brief biography of the magazine was a photograph by Terry Richardson, Lady Gaga, May 2011. This photograph would attract a lot of people that walked into the exhibit because she is one of the most popular celebrities of today and she is known for her eccentric fashion sense. And this photograph didn’t disappoint, the background is all black and so is her outfit and her sky high shoes and eye make-up and her hair is a pale pink and her face has a spotlight on it, which is the highlight of the photo because it’s the first thing you see looking at it. I really like this photograph because it’s Lady Gaga and I like that the photographer used her hair and her face as the focal point of the photo; I like how they used all black as the contrast and dark make-up it gives the photograph a dramatic feel. And the pose she is giving and her shoes gives the photograph some structure because her body is at different levels, her shoes are high but one foot is kind of lifted and so is the pant leg of the shoe to give it some more height.

Some other photographs that caught my attention and I thought were interesting were by Jean-Paul Goude [Linda Evanglista, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Paul Goude, Stephan Gan] Dec, 2003. I love the whole concept of this picture it’s full of people in which looks like a ballroom, people on steps and then there’s Linda and Karl as the focal point of the picture right in the middle of the floor and huge pieces of confetti falling from the ceiling. It looks like a fun picture, like there was a party going on. The gleam of the confetti is what first catches your eye in the picture because the light in the room bounces right off of it. It’s also interesting because Karl is dressed in all black as usual and Linda in dressed in all white with a head piece on; there outfits don’t fit the setting of background, but it makes for a great picture. The other photos are by Tim Walker Tim Burton’s Tricks & Treats which was a play on the director Tim Burton’s movie characters. They included Edward Scissor Hands, Nightmare before Christmas, BeatleJuice (my favorite Tim Burton film) and others. The models in the photos were dressed as the character from the movie but they had a twist to them. The outfits were more up to date then the movie, but they put a great spin on recreating the characters looks. This particular group of photos made me really excited because as soon as I saw them I knew what they were supposed to be. I would recommend this exhibit to anyone who loves fashion, it allows you to see it from a different perspective and how iconic pictures can be just by how it is put together and staged.

Going to this exhibit and looking at the photos showed me how much photography has changed, from when you could only take one photo and that be the only copy or not being able to catch movements in the photos or even getting the correct color or complete figure in the photo. The exhibit space has also showed me how things have changed how photographers would have to display their work at their own homes. This exhibition contributed to my knowledge of the history of photography by showing how photography in the past has evolved and contributed to what we can do today. It showed how you can tell stories through photos and clothing and how a pose or facial expression could add to a photo and give a meaning and allows you to interpret things how you see them.

7 Responses to Sample Exhibition Review

Pingback: Contemporary – nursingpaperservice.com

Pingback: Contemporary – Aplusgrade

Pingback: Contemporary Art review. - Homework Essay Writer

Pingback: Topics in contemporary art exhibition paper | art | State University of New York College at Old Westbury - Duepapers

Pingback: Topics in contemporary Art Exhibition Paper – Paper Assignments

Pingback: Contemporary Art review. – Paper Assignments

Pingback: Contemporary art review. | English homework help - Business Essay Help

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact Information

Professor Sandra Cheng Office: Namm 602B Office Hours: Tu/Th 9-10 am or by appointment Office Tel: 718-260-5003 Email: [email protected]

• Search for:

Helpful Links

• Bronx Museum of Art
• CityTech Library
• hopstop.com
• Hunter College Art Gallery
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Modern Art
• NYFA Job/Internship Listing
• NYU Grey Art Gallery
• Whitney Museum of Art

New York Times Arts

• The Artist Who Burned the U.S. Flag Raises a New One in Venice
• ‘Fearless Girl’ Lawsuit Is Over but the Statue’s Fate Is Unsettled
• A North Carolina Museum Hopes Fossils Solve a Dinosaur Mystery
• The 1981 Minnesota Ranch House That Once Embarrassed Them Is Now a Showplace
• Upgraded Museums Add New Value at Colleges and Universities

Recent Posts

• The Art of Food
• Art History Parodies
• Impossible Exhibitions, The Caravaggio Show
• Picasso’s Les Demoiselles D’Avignon

Recent Comments

• Contemporary art review. | English homework help - Business Essay Help on Sample Exhibition Review
• Contemporary Art review. – Paper Assignments on Sample Exhibition Review
• Topics in contemporary Art Exhibition Paper – Paper Assignments on Sample Exhibition Review
• Topics in contemporary art exhibition paper | art | State University of New York College at Old Westbury - Duepapers on Sample Exhibition Review
• Contemporary Art review. - Homework Essay Writer on Sample Exhibition Review
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
• August 2012
• Uncategorized
• Entries feed
• Comments feed
• WordPress.org

bells and whistles

• Animated Book of Kells
• Barry McGee
• contrapposto
• Doryphorous
• funeral oration
• Historia Augusta
• Homework Doryphorous
• John Baldessari
• Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
• Margaret Kilgallen
• masculinity
• monasticism
• Peloponnesian War
• Pericles Speech Masculinity Manliness
• Polykleitos
• recycled art
• Roman emperor
• Rule of St. Benedict
• Santiago de Compostela
• The Mesopotamians
• They Might Be Giants

The OpenLab at City Tech: A place to learn, work, and share

The OpenLab is an open-source, digital platform designed to support teaching and learning at City Tech (New York City College of Technology), and to promote student and faculty engagement in the intellectual and social life of the college community.

New York City College of Technology | City University of New York

Accessibility

Our goal is to make the OpenLab accessible for all users.

Learn more about accessibility on the OpenLab

Creative Commons

• - Attribution
• - NonCommercial
• - ShareAlike

© New York City College of Technology | City University of New York

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples

Essay Samples on Art

While it may seem easy to compose essays about art, it’s not really so because you have to offer background information in your introduction part and explain why some exhibition or a school of thought is important. This should go to your first paragraph because your purpose is to inspire your readers and provide enough background information. When you already have a prompt that must be followed, determine what kind of essay must be written. It can be a descriptive essay, which is great for a description of the works of art or photography. Some other cases may require working with an explanatory tone where you have to explain why an artist has chosen certain palettes or what has been an inspiration. See various free art essay examples below for inspiration. It also helps to learn how to structure your writing and implement quotes or footnotes that are used to highlight the images. Remember to focus on the ways how to cite images and multimedia elements, depending on the chosen style. Your writing should address every image that you have by checking twice with the grading rubric to ensure that you use the sources that may have already been specified.

What Does Creativity Mean to You

Creativity, an intricate tapestry of imagination and innovation, holds a unique significance for each individual. It is a concept that transcends the boundaries of convention, sparking curiosity and igniting the flames of inspiration. In this essay, we embark on a journey to unearth the meaning...

Censorship of Art and Artists: The Complex Discourse

The intersection of creativity and expression often finds itself entangled in a contentious debate: the censorship of art and artists. This complex issue has sparked discussions across societies and cultures, raising questions about freedom of speech, cultural preservation, and the power dynamics between creators and...

Why I Want to Study Architecture: the Power of Design

The world around us is a tapestry of structures, spaces, and designs that shape our lives and experiences. From towering skyscrapers to quaint houses, every architectural marvel carries a story and a vision. The allure of architecture, with its blend of artistic expression, technical precision,...

• Architecture

The Impact of Technology on Art: A Modern Renaissance

Introduction The influence of technology on art is an evolving narrative that reflects the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and innovative tools. From the early use of simple tools to create cave paintings to the digital art technologies of today, the integration of technology in...

• Art History
• Impact of Technology
• Renaissance

Exploring Feminist Literary Criticism: Unveiling Mona Lisa Smile

Introduction Self-assessment and criticism help us improve our skills and the ways in which we communicate our ideas and perspectives with others. In this feminist literary criticism essay, I will be critiquing and analysis of the movie Mona Lisa Smile. Firstly, I will explain why...

• Literary Criticism

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

• 100% unique papers
• 3 hrs deadline option

Frida Kahlo: Exploring Her Biography Through the Film 'Frida'

In the 2002 film “Frida” directed by Julie Taymor, illustrates the life of Frida Kahlo based on the book Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera. Who is Frida Kahlo? Her biography in this essay is explored with the help of the film...

• Film Analysis
• Frida Kahlo

Debate Surrounding Graphic Novel and Relation to Literature

Introduction In the past years, the noise about graphic novels has been constantly increasing. A graphic novel is basically a novel in comic-strip format, a book made up of comics’ content. However, they are not the same as comics. Unlike comic books, graphic novels are...

• Graphic Novel
• Visual Arts

Depicting Trauma: Symbolism in Graphic Novels

Introduction I must confess that I never read a graphic novel prior to this course. I think I’ve developed and expressed my opinion of graphic novels frequently over the course of the semester, and I think I would be remiss if I did not close...

Understanding Graphic Novels: Context and Analysis for Reading

Introduction Graphic novels are stories illustrated in comic form but have the length of a novel. “The term graphic novel was invented in 1970 however, the time of its origin is not concluded yet” (“Levitz”). Graphic novels have been debated for decades since some readers...

Jhene Aiko: Exploring the Artistry and Emotions in her Music

The artist I have chosen to write about is Jhene Aiko who is categorized in the R&B and Hip-Hop genre. Jhene Aiko is a popular singer who writes her music under the influence of cannibis, under the influence of therapeutic instruments and while having a...

• Famous Person
• Music Industry

The Joy of Painting: Exploring the Life and Legacy of Bob Ross

Who is Bob Ross, or rather, who was he? During the 80s and 90s, he was an artist who specialized in painting, hosting an instructional painting show on PBS called The Joy of Painting. Though Bob Ross has long since passed on, one will find...

The Uniqueness of Australian Artwork: Exploring Artists' Perceptions

Australian artists provide a unique way of displaying the Australian landscape. John Olsen is one of these artists, who uses symbolism to create a sense of movement. This is conveyed through his spontaneous linear line work as seen in Onkaparinga Hill, blue wren and fox...

Artistic World of Peter Doig: an Insight Into His Life and Work

Peter Doig is a contemporary Scottish artist I found that peaked my interest from his art work to his personal life. I’d like to start off by giving a brief background of the artist seeing that a lot of his work is landscapes from where...

• Contemporary Art

Being an Artist: My Passion, Place of Freedom and Courage

I remember constantly wondering if there was a way that I could make my life meaningful or if it even had meaning. I was just a thirteen year old starting to figure out her own self. My life revolved around wanting to please the people...

• About Myself

Sculpture From Dura Europas: the Head of a Bearded God

One of the artworks in the Yale art gallery is the Head of a Bearded God. This sculpture of bearded man that looks old and wise. This piece has curly hair, bushy eyebrows, and very wide/big eyes. The piece is is classified as a sculpture,...

Kashimiri Papier Mache Art: a Unique Dying Art Form

Kashmir has been wrought in conflict and upheaval for decades now, but its wonderful valleys give us a unique gift of native craftsmanship – Papier Mache art. Kashmir’s rich cultural past is often overlooked due to its troublesome political past. Its handicrafts and shawls (from...

The Art of the Meddah: Exploring Turkish Forms of Storytelling

Culture is the conglomeration of the beliefs and art forms of societiesm across places, along a long-time frame. And quite evidently, the Republic of Turkey has an extremely long history and a resultantly rich diversity in its culture. Throughout its history, the Turkish land was...

The Way Technologies Transform Already Existing Art Forms

Compelling games are not the consequences of accidents, any more than are riveting novels, movies, or music. Creators for all these medias draw on well-established set of strategies and techniques to create a particular emotional experience. Musicians, for example, may create tension through reiteration and...

How Shemistry Influenced the History and Presentation of Art

Chemistry is everywhere in our life. Of course, chemistry is also closely related to art. There are many forms of art, such as oil painting, gouache, watercolor and so on. These painting forms are inseparable from products such as pigments and watercolors, which are based...

Critical Understanding of the Sculptural Art of Alexander Calder

Calder was an American sculptor from Pennsylvania. His father, Alexander Stirling Calder was a sculptor and his mother a painter. Him and his family were constantly on the move around the country throughout Calder’s childhood due to his dads work. And through this Calder was...

Discussion on the Relationship Between Intelligence and Creativity

The relationship between intelligence and creativity has been subjected to research for many years. Unfortunately, there is yet no consensus on how these constructs are related. The connection between intelligence and creativity is that they are functions of the brain that handle data to determine...

• Intelligence

Do Schools Kill Creativity: the Issues of Music Education

In the TEDx video entitled, 'Do schools kill creativity?' Sir Ken Robinson discusses what he believes to be the main problem with our education system, providing a series of funny anecdotes and facts appropriate for his argument. After watching this video about 'Do schools kill...

Creative and Critical Thinking: Combining the Achievements of Thought

Creative, one word that can be interpreted in many ways whether in thoughts which is include ways of thinking and actions and also in verbal form. Critical, on the other side refers to the ability to analyse information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It...

• Critical Thinking

Culture, Art and Creativity: the Way They Are Related

Art is a reflection of your thinking, your ideas, and your surroundings, the artist adopts his or her surroundings and then by using their imagination, outside thinking and their perspective they present a new face of it in front of the world. Art and creativity...

• Cultural Anthropology

Accessing the World of Theatre: Musicals and Music Theatre

Goodwin (2019) states music theatre is a type of stage performance using music from various forms such as ballets, operas, cabarets, and contemporary music. Musical theatre uses different techniques (e.g. music, dance, songs, acting as well as spoken dialogue) to tell a story to the...

Drawing for Architecture: A Key to Understanding Complex Designs

Architecture the word from Latin is called “architectura” originally from the Greek “arkhitekton”. Architectural drawing has never been taken for granted. All things we design and sketch are from our thinking to our hands. Therefore, drawings are the main development to architectural projects. When designing,...

Architecture: Bridging Vision into Reality

Architecture can be defined in various ways, but if I were to define it, I would simply use these following words, ‘Architecture is an abstract language that bridges a vision into reality.’ I think everyone would agree that architecture is best paired with great effort...

• Interior Design

The Development of Nationalism & Regionalism in Australian Architecture

Introduction From the 1880s, “nationalism” and “regionalism” had been started to be two of the keywords on the Australian development of architecture. These two words point toward the nation’s sake of rejecting foreign architectural approaches and seeking of the local architectural characteristics in Australia. During...

• Modern Architecture

Architecture: A Means to Improve People's Quality of Life

Introduction  “Architecture is about finding imaginative, creative solutions to improving people’s quality of life.” - Alejandro Aravena Architecture was born approach back in the prehistoric age, once the first man determined to come back up with shelters made up of twigs and bones. architecture isn't...

• Quality of Life

Architecture and its Role in Nation Building: A Critical Review

Brief introduction on architecture and how its spaces are perceived The universal definition of architecture as a synthesis of ‘art’ and ‘science’ is inadequate in the present democratic, globalized, and information world of the 21st century. Many modern good-looking buildings with sound structures have been...

Romanticism Paintings Analysis: The Raft of Medusa and Liberty Leading the People

I will be focusing on romanticism that is based on emotions and sublimity. I will be displaying the features of romantic art by analysing two paintings from the 19th century. These are The Raft of Medusa by Theodore Gericault (1819; Louvre Museum, Paris), oil on...

• Romanticism

The Ideas Behind The Persistence of Memory and Pillars of Society

George Grosz, Pillars of Society (1926) George Grosz was born in Berlin on July 26, 1893, he studied at Dresden Art Academy and began his career as a cartoonist. He later joined a Dada movement in 1917. And he was a famous figure in Neue...

• Salvador Dali

The Persistence of Memory, Starry Night and Analysis of Other Paintings

Dreams are something that everyone is or was able to have at one point in their life. Dreams are defined as, 'a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.' Many artists create their artworks from their dreams or other...

• Vincent Van Gogh

The System Of Education: If I Could Change The World

If I could change the world, I would completely change the system of education. It hasn't changed for hundreds of years, and the current system was designed in the Industrial Age. This means, that children in school have to obey every order and do only...

• Importance of Education

Expressive Art: Is Graffiti Art Or Vandalism

 Throughout time graffiti has received both overwhelming support and intense backlash. Some view it as a form of expressive art while others consider it a complete destruction of property. However, despite the amount of differentiation, charisma and personality graffiti can bring into cities, it is...

Why Is Art Important For Human

Art is not a necessary part of survival. So why does it matter? Oftentimes art is overlooked and viewed as an unimportant skill or ability to have. However, art has many qualities that one can benefit from. It is a stress reliever that allows people...

The Doll`s House" By H. Ibsen: Nora Helmer Character Analysis

Nora Helmer is a good wife and mother. She does all she can for her family, especially her husband. Considering all the things she does, and the lengths she went to to make sure her husband could regain his health, it was not enough in...

• A Doll's House

Why Is Graffiti Are Not Vandalism

Why is graffiti art not vandalism? According to the Mural Arts Philadelphia website, the village’s first legitimate effort to eradicate graffiti started with the form of the Anti-Graffiti Network in the 1980s. Some people assay that its vandalism, and some assay that its artifice. Park...

My Take On Comedy: From Tartuffe To Sylvia And Cards Against Humanity

Defining comedy is extremely difficult. When something happens that makes you laugh, whether that is in a play or in real life, it’s difficult to pin down why you laughed, to begin with. I find myself defining comedy as a series of events that went...

Attitudes Towards Consumerism in Contemporary Art

In this essay I will be using information gathered from my own personal research, studio research and relevant topics discussed throughout the lectures. Whilst also, considering social, economic, and cultural factors. I will be discussing and analyzing attitudes towards consumerism in Contemporary Art. Built from...

• Consumerism

One of the Most Common Forms of Theatre

Throughout this essay the focus of various practitioners will be explored thoroughly from the paths of life they took and how they became so successful, to the impact that their work had on other practitioners and in general the industry itself. The industry of theatre...

The Practice of Art Forgery and Monet's Aesthetic Flaws

A forgery is a work that is not genuine to its proclaimed origins, however, is presented as a genuine article, and is so acting with the intention to deceive. The practice of art forgery is as well established and mature as the practice of creating...

• Claude Monet

Visual Verbal Essay on Wilfred Owen and Franz Marc

This essay explores two artists, Franz Marc, Brett Whitely and two of their artworks depicting animal scenes. Franz Marc’s ‘Tiger’, ‘Blue Horse 1’ and Brett Whitley’s Giraffe and Hyena. These four artworks will be compared and contrasted using the structural and the subjective frame. In...

• Wilfred Owen

The Role of Creative Industries in the United Kingdom

In this essay I will go over and talk about the creative industries and the role they play in the United Kingdom, I will look at the history and the development of the Creative Industries and their sectors. I will then look at the wider...

• Great Britain

African Art: West African Sculpting 

West African sculpting greatly influenced us today because lots o people still do it like when Pablo Picasso recreated the style of west African art he created it like they would some real some supernatural and exaggerated on some body parts after Pablo Picasso shared...

• African Art

Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham Due to Divine Intervention

First of all, there are several juxtapositions present throughout the painting. For example, there is a dichotomous relationship between the cold sensuality in the foreground and the pastoral beauty in the background. Secondly, Caravaggio manages to convey the sensational struggle present between the unconditional loyalty...

Greetings From the 1970s Contemporary Photography

The term contemporary refers to things happening in the same period of or in the style of the present or recent times so when referring to contemporary photography that is only basic modern 21st-century pictures or videos.. Over the past years, something called 'the medium'...

• Photography

Claude Monet and Modern Art Today

“Claude Monet” was a famous French painter who used to catch his everyday life's best minutes on canvas. “Claude Monet” was born on 14 November 1840 and His father was a businessman and his mother was a singer. He is one of the most praised...

The World’s Wife Borrowed From Other Texts

It is often that literature, whether being a poem or a book, often provides a voice for those who lack one. The work by Carol Ann Duffy is an accumulation of poems titled 'The World's Wife', first published in 1999 and the present works through...

• Drama (Play Genre)

Typography: From Billboards to Street Signs

Typography is everywhere we look, in the books we read on the websites we visit even in everyday life, from billboards to street signs, product packaging and even on your mobile phone. It is the art and technique of designing and arranging type. Today the...

• Advertising

Rebellious Aspect to Monet’s Personality

Claude Monet is an artist who continues to be adored and held in high esteem even to this day. There may be many who perhaps are not familiar with the name, yet still at least recognise one piece of his work. His paintings are a...

Edgar Degas and His Way of Critics

Mary Cassatt was born in 1844. She was born in what is now known as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and died on June 14, 1926 at her French home right outside of Paris. Mary was raised in Philadelphia where she spent her childhood with a social privilege...

• Edgar Degas
• Impressionism

The Principles of Art: Movement, Unity, Harmony, Variety

If you were to ask someone “what is art essay”, the majority of people in the world would think of art and immediately their mind would shoot to a painting. The truth is, art is so much more than just a painting. There are thousands...

• Art Movement

Fairy Tale Black Swan Is a Story of a Ballerina

“Black Swan” is not the fairy tale of “swan lake” but a story of a ballerina, Nina. The story begins with the change of the company, the old lead dancer Beth is about to leave. The stage needs a new lead dancer who can act...

The Book Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Calico

One may call war a side effect of human civilization. Nevertheless, it is in a war that people show their best virtues: courage, loyalty, strength, perseverance, and honesty. Nothing is surprising in the fact that texts on this subject have existed since the writing appeared....

Comparing Two Great Pieces by Pablo Picasso and by Francisco Goya

Today I will be comparing and contrasting two great pieces called “GUERNICA” by Pablo Picasso and “THE THIRD OF MAY” by Francisco Goya.The “GUERNICA” by Pablo Picasso was hard to understand at first but the longer you look at it you understand it is a...

• Pablo Picasso

Black Swan is About Destructive Nature of Ballet

Nina Portman is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica who exerts a suffocating control over her life. When artistic director...

The Development of Islamic Art

Islamic art is created not only for the Muslim faith, but it consists of artworks such as textiles, architecture, paintings and drawings that were produced in the regions that were once ruled by Muslim empires. Artists from various disciplines take part in collaborative projects and...

• History of Islam
• Islamic Art

Role of Cultural and Religious Pluralism

Cultural pluralism is a term used when smaller groups within a larger society maintain their own unique cultural identities. Migration is a key process that makes significant contribution to the growth of urbanism. Often immigrants belonging to particular region, language, religion ,tribe etc tend to...

• Art and Religion
• Religious Pluralism

John Berger: Understanding His Artwork

John Berger is a remarkable man who enlighten us with his knowledge using one of his brilliant essays “Ways of Seeing.” Berger has concurred the ability to fully understand any artwork and to recognize what is visible before him. He clarifies that there is a...

• John Berger

America’s Contemporary Multimedia Artist Jeff Koons

Jeff Koons is one of America’s most popular contemporary multimedia artists, who believes that art can change lives, give vastness and expand your parameters. Koons was born in York, Pennsylvania in 1955. He studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore and the...

• American Culture

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Italian: Volta Della Cappella Sistina), painted by Michelangelo somewhere in the range of 1508 and 1512, is a foundation work of High Renaissance craftsmanship. The Creation of Adam' is one of the nine ceiling boards in the Sistine Chapel portraying scenes...

• Michelangelo

History of Medieval And Byzantine Art Movements

A painting wealthy in color typical for St.George on a rearing white horse, shown against a rocky landscape, slaying the winged monster as it appears before him. An angel crowns St.George with a martyr’s crown, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. The tower on...

• Byzantine Empire

The Power Of Photography: Capturing Emotions With Camera

Photographs help people preserve memories with its technology, but what is actually happening is much more interesting when thought about in more depth. A moment in time is captured forever, so long as the photograph is kept in good shape. It is the closest people...

Jackson Pollock as an Influential America Artist

The painter Jackson Pollock was an influential America painter and a key person to the abstract expressionist movement. He was born in Cody , Wyoming in 1912 and he was the youngest of 5 brothers. He grew up in Arizona and Chico, California he moved...

• Jackson Pollock

The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio by Belle Ami

The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio by Belle Ami is a romantic suspense thriller and the second book in the Out of Time series. High on the success of finding a centuries-old Leonardo da Vinci painting, Angela Renatus, and her fiance Alex Caine are on a...

The Portrayal of the Culture of Death and Afterlife in Art

Throughout history, different cultures dealt with the concept of death and afterlife according to their beliefs, and developed different perspectives about what happens after the body dies. These ideas were often reflected in their art, literature, and their lifestyle as well. Most cultures produce art...

Art Nouveau and Modernist Movements in Art

Art Nouveau is originated in England. William Morris collaborated with other artists so Art Nouveau was created. It has a wide range of different decorative arts, like architectural, painting, graphic art, and jewelry. It was most popular during the 1890s. Its popularity came to a...

• Art Nouveau
• William Morris

The Famous Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio

The famous Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio produced original paintings, criticizing those who imitated other artists creative styles. He even accused the great Giovanni Baglione and Guido Reni for imitating his uniquely developed techniques. Caravaggio was the building block for modern art and followed by many....

Art of Theatre and French Figure Joan of Arc

Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) is an irish playwright, critic, and political activist. His influence on Western theatre started from the 1880s till after his death. He won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1925 becoming the leading dramatist of his generation. Shaw's first play to bring...

• Joan of Arc

The Beauty and Skill of Ansel Adams’ Photography

Ansel Adams was born in San Francisco, California on February 20, 1902. As a child, Adams had many freedoms and lots of energy. He was an unattractive child, with big dark circles under his eyes, a crooked nose, and large ears. He was often teased...

• Ansel Adams

Holi Festival and Vibrant Celebration of Colors

Holi is a very vibrant celebration of colors. We have to wait for a whole year. So we can enjoy the festival of color. Although, Holi is fun and joyous. It's also immensely damaging to your skin. The colors are not extracted from flowers but...

• Holi Festival

The Struggle of the Graphic Designers and Social Media

Graphic designers relied heavily on word-of-mouth for their works to become popular and to be seen by the public, it was close to impossible to grow an organic dedicated fanbase to follow your work, nowadays with the rise of the internet and social media, you...

• Graphic Design

Some Interesting Facts About Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali was one of the most, if not the most celebrated artist of the 20th century. His art is iconic, his personality, eccentric, his fashion sense, interesting, his style, unique, his showmanship, unforgettable. All these combined to make him an interesting human and a...

Salvador Dali's Biography: Main Topics

 Salvador Dali was born on May 11, 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. His father was an atheist lawyer who was very strict in Dali’s upbringing. Dali’s mother, on the other hand, was loving and encouraged him to be artistic. He has an older brother named...

Caravaggio’s Artwork Judith Beheading Holofernes

For this essay, you needed to decide on a painting, Sculpture and other selected types of art work by which ever artist that created them before the 1900’s.Select a topic out of the selection given to do research about the topic and art work to...

William Morris: Arts and Crafts Movement

William Morris was a famous artists who mainly focused on his wallpaper and fabric designs. While he was mainly known for his art, even today, he had many other notable careers and accomplishments, One of them being that he founded the Arts and crafts movement....

Breaking The Parametr In Red Wheelbarrow: Analysis

The most conspicuous element of modernist poetry is the invention and experimentation of new forms of representation. It featured movements such as imagism and symbolism and moved consciously away from naturalism and realism. Ezra Pound was one of the first to delve into this new...

The Importance Of Paying Attention To Detail In Architecture

The architectural detailing process of a project is a long process that includes a lot of steps and patterns to consider. The designing issue is not consecutive for making a theoretical plan for the entire structure, the detailing, and construction of a building. It is...

Depiction Of Revolution In Les Miserables And Musical Theatre

This essay will deliberate the framework of genre, and investigate Musical Theatre, a genre within performing arts. What is Genre? Genre has been around for centuries, it commenced with the Greek philosophers Aristotle and Plato, they created a classification system that would separate literature into...

• Les Miserables

The Concepts Of Love And Hate With Loyalty In "Romeo And Juliet"

Loyalty is a virtue that most people strive for as seen in the play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, which is about two feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo, a Montague and Juliet, a Capulet fall in love. Throughout...

• Romeo and Juliet
• William Shakespeare

Romeo And Juliet: The Decision Between Choice And Fate

“God gave us free will, and we may choose to exercise it in ways that end up hurting other people”-Francis Collins. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by Shakespeare, that follows the lives of two star-crossed lovers. The setting of Romeo and Juliet...

Societal Views On Graffiti: Street Art Or Vandalism

When you think of graffiti what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Vandalism or street art? Most would say vandalism, but what makes the distinction between the two? The intention of the piece. There’s a difference between defiling the back of a building and...

Portrayal Of Love And Hate In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare’s exploration of themes through tragic conventions make the play, Romeo and Juliet, of enduring relevance to modern audiences. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1595) captures audiences through the thrill of lovers from feuding families racing together to their tragic demises. This play explores themes understood...

Graffiti And Street Art As An Act Of Vandalism

It is difficult to apply a single definition to what is considered Art. Whether it can or should be defined has been constantly debated. “The definition of art is controversial in contemporary philosophy. Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy....

Passionate Pursuit: Being Passionate About Art

Different pieces of artwork inspire people all around the world. Artists use a wide variety of techniques to make their work unique. While creating new pieces of art, it is common to look at other artists' work for inspiration. While evaluating their artwork you can...

Andy Warhol's Album Artwork: Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover

As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case an album, but sometimes it cannot be helped. Custom packaging is an extremely important with any kind of product but despite this album cover art has not always been used...

• Andy Warhol

The Role Of Other Characters In Death Of Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is such a tragic love story. It is sad that their lives ended, but that doesn’t mean their love for eachother did; their love may still live on with them in the after life. There are many characters who had a role...

The Presentation Of Love In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a play written by Shakespeare in the 1500’s. It tells us the tragedy of two young lovers named Romeo and Juliet who fall in love at first sight but can never be together due to their two families conflict which ends...

The Importance Of Different Types Of Love In Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare during the 16th century that mainly follows the themes of love and tragedy. The intense passion the two lovers from both households have for one another causes the deaths of their friends, family and themselves....

The Use Of Hyperbole And Symbolism In "The Doll's House"

A Doll's House delves into the lives of a young couple living in Victorian era Norway. The play follows Nora through her journey, from her previously unexamined life of domestic, wifely comfort, to questioning the very foundation of everything she used to believe in. Having...

Realism In A Doll's House Play

Realism as a literary movement emerged in the late nineteenth century and extended to the twentieth century, the most important factors that led to the emergence of the period of realism is the horrors that happened to people after the World War, which made the...

20th Century Art: Representational Abstract Art

One of the most influential and significant periods in the history of the arts is the 20th century. It was a period that consisted of many rapid and radical artistic changes that gave birth to endless ideas, possibilities, experiences, and visions. Not only were ideas,...

• Abstract Art

The Opposite Concepts Of Realism Versus Idealism

 Introduction When comparing realism and idealism, the concepts must be understood historically, theoretically and practically. In this essay, a number of steps will be taken to present a thorough overview of the two schools of thought. Firstly, the epistemological and metaphysical questions of philosophy will...

The Abstract Art And Pop Art Artists And Movements

Pop art emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain, then later in the 1950s in the United States of America. Pop art still influences designers and artists to this day, was against abstract expressionists, pop artists saw abstract artists as intense. The art was a...

Romanticism & Realism: Changing Landscapes 

In my essay I will be looking at the contrast between romanticism and photo-realism, how light controls the image and how photographers are able to control how the picture will look like, by the time of day, the angle and being able to change the...

• Romantic Era

The Abstract Art And Expressionism In World War 2

In World War 2, many countries were destroyed by Hitler and his army. There were allies which were the U.S., Britain, France, USSR, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and Yugoslavia and the axis powers, which were...

Coriolanus: Plutarch's And William Shakespeare's Versions

Two of the greatest contributors to the “Struggle of the Orders” between Plebeians and Patricians were the Patricians’ fears of Plebeian power overshadowing their influence on Roman politics, as well as the issues of grain pricing and distribution. Plutarch’s “Coriolanus” within his Parallel Lives work...

The Definition Of Fate And Free Will In Macbeth

Throughout time, it has been believed that fate has the power to forge one’s destiny. On the other hand though, I believe these choices can defy fate and that fate only manipulates one's mind into choosing their own path. In the play Macbeth, Shakespeare messes...

Reality Of Romanticism And Realism Under The Umbrella Of Gothic Genre

Two of the most common genres of writing that is found in literature belongs to either the Romanticism movement or the Realist/Naturalism movement. While these two movements might seem like they are related to each other, they are very opposite from one another in the...

Best topics on Art

1. What Does Creativity Mean to You

2. Censorship of Art and Artists: The Complex Discourse

3. Why I Want to Study Architecture: the Power of Design

4. The Impact of Technology on Art: A Modern Renaissance

5. Exploring Feminist Literary Criticism: Unveiling Mona Lisa Smile

6. Frida Kahlo: Exploring Her Biography Through the Film ‘Frida’

7. Debate Surrounding Graphic Novel and Relation to Literature

8. Depicting Trauma: Symbolism in Graphic Novels

9. Understanding Graphic Novels: Context and Analysis for Reading

10. Jhene Aiko: Exploring the Artistry and Emotions in her Music

11. The Joy of Painting: Exploring the Life and Legacy of Bob Ross

12. The Uniqueness of Australian Artwork: Exploring Artists’ Perceptions

13. Artistic World of Peter Doig: an Insight Into His Life and Work

14. Being an Artist: My Passion, Place of Freedom and Courage

15. Sculpture From Dura Europas: the Head of a Bearded God

• Jean-Michel Basquiat

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

Research Guides

Art history.

• Finding Images
• Art Dictionaries
• Art Encyclopedias
• "Sources and Documents"
• Secondary Sources

Why Exhibition Catalogues?

Examples of catalogue entries.

• More Information about Exhibtion Catalogues

Finding Exhibition Catalogues

How to cite exhibition catalogues.

• Articles in Scholarly Journals
• Online Resources
• Digital Humanities
• Podcasts in Art History
• Important Libraries for Art History
• Academic Writing Help
• Other Guides useful for Art History research
• Help / Contact

Students are often asked to find exhibition catalogues as part of their research, or they are asked to mimic a catalogue entry for an assignment. Exhibition catalogues are a very important type of literature for Art History.   They provide documentation relating to all the items displayed in a show at a museum or art gallery and they contain new scholarly insight by way of thematic essays from curators and academics.

Up until the last few decades, most exhibition catalogues were small and simple.  They were mostly in the form of an unillustrated “checklist”, which would list the title of the work, dimensions, medium and creator. Now, exhibition catalogues often take the form of substantial books containing an introduction, essays, works shown, crisp colour images on glossy paper, a bibliography and sometimes an index.

“…a good catalogue must nonetheless bring over something of the flavor, the temper, the attitude, the very feel of the show, while revealing something important to us about the nature of its subject. It has a duty, to a greater or lesser degree, to the onward march of scholarship.”

https://hyperallergic.com/563950/what-are-exhibition-catalogues-for/

Many assignments involve the creation of a “catalogue entry” for an object or work of art for a virtual exhibition.  These usually are about one page and consist of the following elements:

• A clear photo of the object (with proper photo credit or citation listed elsewhere)
• Physical data: Dimensions, Medium, Date
• Name of Institution that owns it
• Two or three paragraphs about the object / work focusing on its relation to other items in the exhibition as well as the theme of the show or the collection.

1.  Bayer, Andrea.  Art and love in Renaissance Italy . New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008. Issued in connection with an exhibition held Nov. 11, 2008-Feb. 16, 2009, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and Mar. 15-June 14, 2009, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth. (online version available here).

In this example the curator describes the Woman’s Cap (No. 52) in terms of its physical composition and decoration. We are then told of the cap’s purpose and how it would have been worn.  According to 16 th century Italian literature, it was a common object in bridal trousseaux – which is how it relates to the exhibition theme of “Art and Love”.  Another work of art (a contemporaneous painting of a woman wearing a similar cap) is included for comparison.

Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture ,  edited by Andrea Bacchi, Catherine Hess, and Jennifer Montagu. Los Angeles : J. Paul Getty Museum ; Ottawa : National Gallery of Canada, 2008. an exhibition at the Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Aug. 5-Oct. 26, 2008, and at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Nov. 28, 2008-Mar. 8, 2009.  (online version available here).

This first sentence of the entry makes it clear why this work was included in the exhibition:

“Within Bernini’s oeuvre, this bust is noteworthy for many reasons, it depicts the artist’s first important patron, it marks a significant innovation in Bernini’s portrait style, and the circumstance of its making it the stuff of legend.”

• "Writing a Museum Catalog" Purdue University
• A Brief Guide to Writing in Art History Excellent advice from Stanford University. See pp. 7-9 for information about writing a catalogue entry.
• What Are Exhibition Catalogues for? Article by Michael Glover, Hyperallergic, May 16, 2020

When you are searching for exhibition catalogues in the University of Toronto Libraries catalogue, it is important to remember that the books are given Library of Congress subject headings – which use American spelling.  Therefore, be sure to look for both “catalogs” and “catalogues” in a keyword search.

Use the pluralized form of the word “exhibition s ”, since this is also another Library of Congress vocabulary term used to describe the types of publications.

• Robarts Library Robarts Library has the largest number of exhibition catalogues and most of them should be available for curbside delivery.
• The Department of Art History Library is unique in that its collection consists primarily of exhibition catalogues. They used to be difficult to acquire since they were not printed in large runs, and there were very few book distributors that sold them. This collection is tailored to the Department’s graduate curriculum, and many of them are in languages other than English. It is considered a special collection and the books in the Art Library do not circulate.
• The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library The Fisher Library acquires all publications related to Canada and Canadians, and this also includes exhibition catalogues. This library has a great collection of early catalogues from important exhibiting institutions like the Art Gallery of Toronto (before it became the Art Gallery of Ontario), the Canadian National Exhibition (back when it had regular art shows) as well as Contemporary shows across Canada. video... close... Thomas Fisher Rare Book Librry

Few exhibition catalogues are available online.  They are expensive to produce and underfunded cultural institutions needing revenue encourage you to “exit via the giftshop”. Several major museums and galleries have started to provide digitized copies of their publications on their websites. Here is a selective list:

• Metropolitan Museum of Art 70 notable exhibition catalogues available to read, download, and / or search for free.
• Guggenheim Museum The Museum has been digitizing its exhibition catalogs and art books, placing the results online.
• Museum of Modern Art The Museum's exhibition history — from its founding in 1929 to the present—is available online. It includes primary documents, installation views, and an index of participating artists, and some exhibition catalogues.
• The National Gallery of Art (Washington) Browse or download free digital backlist titles .
• Whitney Museum of American Art
• The Los Angeles County Museum of Art Find a range of exhibition and collection catalogues in both print and online formats. There is a complete searchable listing of publications by year. Please note that those available on Archive.org are free of charge in standard PDF format for viewing online or printing out. Those with links to LACMA Store or Collator are available for purchase.

Born Digital

Some exhibition catalogues are now “ born digital ”, with no physical copies ever being printed. 

This is the case for the British Museum’s scholarly Online Research Catalogues:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/publications/online-research-catalogues

How to cite an exhibition catalogue for a bibliography

Faculty in the Department of Art History use the Chicago Manual of Style type of Bibliographic format.

Notice that there are two ways to cite an exhibition catalogue .

• << Previous: Secondary Sources
• Next: Articles in Scholarly Journals >>
• Last Updated: Jan 9, 2024 12:35 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/art

Library links

• Library Home
• Renew items and pay fines
• Library hours
• Engineering
• UT Mississauga Library
• UT Scarborough Library
• Information Commons
• All libraries

University of Toronto Libraries 130 St. George St.,Toronto, ON, M5S 1A5 [email protected] 416-978-8450 Map About web accessibility . Tell us about a web accessibility problem . About online privacy and data collection .

© University of Toronto . All rights reserved. Terms and conditions.

Connect with us

Essays on Art Exhibition

King abdul art exhibition.

King Abdul is a temporary art exhibition set to take place between 16th and 21st in the month of July 2017, at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi. The four-day exhibition brings together artists from all over the entire world to Manarat Al Saadiyat, with a vision to engross the audiences with the modern ideas […]

Our editors will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing a Museum Catalog

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

A museum catalog is typically a book written in regards to a current exhibition. For example, an exhibition of Victorian paintings concerning the legend of King Arthur could be on display at the British Art Museum. The title could be: The Marriage of History and Legend: The Victorian Revival of King Arthur . While the museum exhibit itself might have wall text with a brief introduction to the exhibit as well as having text panels for each piece, anyone wanting more information on the theme of the exhibit might be interested in purchasing a catalog.

Title Page & Table of Contents

The title page of a museum catalog is crucial – you need to think of an image that completely encompasses the theme of your exhibition. Many times the more famous or iconic work of art in the exhibition is on the title page with the title. For The Marriage of History and Legend: The Victorian Revival of King Arthur an image of King Arthur pulling the sword out of the stone would be the best candidate in this regard.

Always provide a table of contents for the museum catalog. Include the introduction, main scholarly essays, a list of the work of arts, notes/bibliography section.

Museum Gallery Guide

Depending on the scope of the project one might choose to provide a gallery guide for your audience – a visual representation of where the pieces will be on display. Having an exhibit in a large space could lead individuals to find specific works of art they might want to see, whereas a smaller space means that a guide would not be necessary.

Include visuals of the exhibit space, an outline of the shape of the objects and where they are located, including building structures such as exit signs, and a key for your user.

Museum Catalog Introduction

Museum catalogs begin with an introductory essay to the theme of the exhibition. Often parts of the introduction are reprinted and displayed with the exhibition itself while the longer introduction is contained in the catalog.

Approaching the introduction to the exhibition is similar to tackling any typical research essay. First, grab the audience’s attention and provide some sort of thesis statement concerning the exhibition. What is the main goal of the exhibition? To back up a thesis statement consider what piece of art to include. The pieces of work on display do not exist in a vacuum. Similar to providing textual quotes to argue a literary essay, art historians use ‘art’ as their evidence to argue their thesis as well as providing primary and secondary sources. It is best to introduce some of these major works of art in the introduction. The following examples include an introductory grader and the thesis or purpose of the exhibition:

Grabber : At the end of the legend made most famously by Thomas Malory in 1469, King Arthur lies in a bloody field with a broken body and spirit…The tragic story of Arthur, frequently referred to as The Once and Future King , is a story with no definite ending. Subsequently, the legend is reinvented countless times, often during times in history when the mythology can be re-defined to fit into modern context.

Thesis: The museum exhibit titled The Marriage of History and Legend: The Victorian Revival of King Arthur surveys Victorian England’s fascination with the medieval past as seen through the art movement of the Pre-Raphaelites, the Gothic Revival, and Romanticism. Queen Victoria is studied in association with the ideas of a model monarchy and the ideal relationship expected between the sexes. Along with those ideas, the exhibit scrutinizes the dangers associated with women who tried to break away from their traditional roles. Lastly, the exhibit focuses on the Arthurian legend becoming something “real” and tangible to which the everyday individual can truly relate and aspire to.

Another strategy to consider in an introduction is the use of segments. Many times an introduction can be broken into segments – the main point of the introduction is to introduce the focal pieces of the exhibition and how they relate to the theme of the exhibition.

Segments for this examplewould consist of a few pages to discuss the Pre-Raphaelites, Gothic Revival, Romanticism, Queen Victoria, Albert the Good, and Arthurian character descriptions. These topics can be discussed furthermore in the actual focal pieces but by providing information in the introduction more of your analysis can focus on the art piece and only mentioning historical context – but that is up to your own discretion. If you mention a main work of art in the introduction and discuss later in the catalog it is best to write [Figure 1] and when you cite the work of art provide before the information [Fig 1] , etc.

Typically pieces that are not on display but are relevant to the exhibition can be cited in this section. For example – when discussing Victorian art culture in relation to King Arthur it would be important to discuss Gothic architecture and then provide an image as an example. The introduction should provide historical and thematic context for the exhibit.

Museum Catalog Entry

Depending on the project a museum catalog will either contain small academic essays or decide to focus on the pieces of work in the exhibition. In the case of academic essays just keep in mind that catalogs typically focus on ‘mini themes’ in the exhibit. For The Marriage of History and Legend: The Victorian Revival of King Arthur it would be beneficial to have one essay on Tennyson’s literary work that would then contain pieces of art work (mostly in the exhibition but some can be provided as outside examples) and how Tennyson’s work relates to the theme of the exhibit.

If you want to just focus on art pieces and not academic essays, catalog entries are typically no more than 500 words and include a brief historical scope of the piece as well as a formal analysis of the piece.

For information on how to cite a work of art in MLA, see the OWL page MLA Works Cited: Other Sources .

Catalog Entry Example:

Edward Burne-Jones, The Beguiling of Merlin , 1874-76. Oil on Canvas. Board of the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside (Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight)

A contrasting Vivien from the time is the Edward Burne-Jones version titled The Beguiling of Merlin , in which his Vivien again takes the name Nimue. In this version, Burne-Jones depicts Nimue as a maiden striving to protect her virtue. She is seen more as an anguished deity than a demonic villainess (Silver, 258). Her costume is typical of a Greek goddess and she wears a serpent headdress similar to Medusa. The serpentine forms of her snaky headdress are repeated in the folds of her indigo dress, in the roots of the trees, and “branches while like tentacles surround the failing man.” (Whitaker, 245) The model for Merlin was the American journalist W.J. Stillman whose face was damaged in a childhood accident, making his hair unusually white for his age. Nimue was Maria Zambaco, who Edward Burne-Jones was deeply in love with; when their relationship was over, Burne-Jones was depressed for many years, and Zambaco was suicidal. In a letter written during 1893, Burne-Jones wrote to his friend Helen Gaskell saying, “I was being turned into a hawthorn bush in the forest of Broceliande- every year when the hawthorn buds it is the soul of Merlin trying to live again the world and speak- for he left so much unsaid” (245). Vivien stands in the foreground, a dominant position that is usually reserved for men. She holds in her hand Merlin’s book of spells, towering over Merlin who cowers under her powerful gaze. Burne-Jones uses his art to express a psychological problem of an artist who is “reduced to impotence by a woman’s supremacy and his own lust” (245).

Works Cited

Silver, Carole “Victorian Spellbinders: Arthurian Women and the Pre-Raphaelite Circle,” in The Passing of Arthur: New Essays in Arthurian Tradition (New York: Garland Pub., 1988), 257.

Whitaker, Muriel A. The Legends of King Arthur in Art , 245.

Bibliography

Make sure to include a bibliography for a complete work of artwork used and cite any primary or secondary sources used in your research.

How to write exhibition, artwork & object descriptions

There’s an art to writing compelling exhibition and artwork descriptions. Read on to find out tried and true tips for successfully introducing your exhibition, artworks and objects to your visitors.

Writing Your Exhibition Description

Writing artwork or object descriptions.

The Exhibition Description acts like the entry text panel in a bricks and mortar exhibition space. It is the first piece of text visitors will see and read before they enter your exhibition and it should explain the themes, ideas, concepts and inspiration behind your exhibition.

We have compiled some pointers to help you write a compelling description and successfully introduce your exhibition to your visitors, so keep reading!

1. Include the ‘Big Idea’

The ‘big idea’ of your exhibition answers the question “What is this exhibition about?”. When writing your exhibition description it is important to make sure you include the Big Idea so your audience can understand and make sense of the themes and ideas you are presenting to them through your artwork.

It is also good practice for exhibition description writing to start with the specific and then move to the general, start with the present and work to the past.

This is the opposite to how we normally write as we like to paint the overall picture (no pun intended) before we get to the nitty gritty details. But if you introduce what you are trying to do now first, you can take your audience on a journey as you explain why you are doing this and how it fits into the big picture.

2. Don’t Repeat Your Bio

It is easy to think you have to talk about yourself and the artists being exhibited in the Description. However, this is not going to get the ‘big idea’ across to your audience and they will have to keep reading to the end before they think  “Oh, this is what I’m about to see”.

Instead, on The Exhibit, the Exhibition Entry page has several prominent links to the Exhibitor profiles of the artists, curators, galleries or cultural institutions involved in the exhibition. And on each individual artwork page inside the exhibition, visitors can also read the artist’s bio information (please note this feature isn’t available for Collections Pro users). So there’s no need to feel as though you have to repeat information about yourself in the description as this information is all easily accessible to your visitors elsewhere throughout your exhibition.

3. Avoid “Artspeak”

The art world has a tendency to use lots of jargon and w*nky concepts which are particular to the discipline of art. However, not all these words and ideas will be understood by your visitors and you don’t want to write your description just for visitors who are art professionals or who have done a degree in fine art. If you make your visitors feel stupid, because they don’t grasp the language you are using or the points you are trying to make, they will disengage from your exhibition.

4. Don’t dumb it down too much

But to continue on from the point above, you don’t want to do the opposite either. You don’t want to make your exhibition writing seem like it is for dummies, by over simplifying your language and avoiding central concepts and ideas. Instead write in a direct and friendly way and as though you are talking directly to your audience in person.

5. Keep the structure short and simple

Lastly, if you keep in mind that your Exhibition Description is the same as the entry text panel in a bricks and mortar exhibition space, this will help you keep your description short and concise. You are not writing a long winded essay but instead a description introducing your exhibition concept and rationale. You want to give readers just enough information so they feel engaged and confident to click through into your exhibition and excited to start viewing the artworks.

It is also good practice to keep your overall structure clear and easy to read. This means using shorter sentences and avoiding any dense descriptions. You want to make it seem like you are talking directly to your visitors through your description.

Artwork or Object Descriptions are the blurbs which accompany each of the artworks or objects in your exhibition. They are just like the wall labels which are pinned next to each artwork or object in an offline exhibition. On The Exhibit, Artwork or Object Descriptions are automatically accompanied by the artwork’s title, manufacture date, medium, and size, as well as the artist’s name and a link to their biography. (Note: the artist’s biography information and link doesn’t appear on individual artwork/object pages for Collections Pro users)

Artwork or Object Descriptions are not required in your exhibition for each artwork/object, but when you take the time to add them, they do boost your online exhibition and give your visitors more information.

The more information you can provide, the more engaged your visitors will be with your exhibition, this is because they will grasp what you are trying to achieve and what emotions you are trying to illicit through the art and objects.

To really engage your visitors through your Artwork or Object Description copy, here are some of our tried and true tips:  

1. Don’t make descriptions chronological

You have to remember that even the most diligent visitors aren’t stopping on every artwork/object and reading every description. So, we recommend making each artwork/object description stand alone and able to be read independently of any others, because as soon as visitors read a description that assumes they’ve read a previous one, they end up confused and frustrated.

2. Make it Beneficial

Visitors to your exhibition are looking to find something out when they read your descriptions. If you provide something beneficial to them, an insight into the artist’s creative practice, what the artwork imagery means, or the historical significance or story of the object, you will hook them in. And once they’re hooked, they’ll delve deeper into your exhibition, read more of the other descriptions, look closer at your images and maybe even buy a piece if you have ‘for sale’ works in your exhibition.

3. Tie in the Big Idea

The Big Idea which you introduce in your Exhibition Description can’t just appear just once in the introduction—it has to be a thread that weaves its way through the whole exhibition. This links all the artworks together and creates an overall sense of purpose. Visitors will also be able to follow and make sense of your visual narrative from the first artwork/object to the last artwork or object in your exhibition if you do this.

4. Be concise

Some of the points we have mentioned in our Exhibition Description writing tips above, also apply to your Artwork or Object Description copy. Your Artwork or Object Descriptions also need to avoid any jargon and artspeak, avoid talking down to your audience, and be structured in a simple and readable way.

With Artwork or Object Descriptions, shorter is definitely better, so make sure you get straight to any points you are making. If you’re referencing a historical period, art movement or artist, maybe add a short sentence explaining what or who this is. That way your visitors with art or historical knowledge are reminded and those new to your exhibitions are able to learn something which helps them understand your artwork and objects.

Hopefully you find these tips helpful? If you have further questions about exhibiting on The Exhibit, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] .

Ready to exhibit? 

Start creating your first online exhibition today, for free!

Have more questions?

View our Exhibitor Handbook for more helpful guides, or please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected] and we’ll get right back to you!

Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Painting — Exploring the Cultural Significance: Mexican Art Exhibition

Exploring The Cultural Significance: Mexican Art Exhibition

• Categories: 20Th Century Painting

About this sample

Words: 572 |

Published: Dec 3, 2020

Words: 572 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: History Arts & Culture

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 1072 words

2 pages / 1034 words

8 pages / 3849 words

1 pages / 496 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Painting

Gundersen, Linda. 'Edvard Munch's The Scream.' The Munch Museum, Munchmuseet, 2021, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/edvard-munch-the-scream.

One of the most iconic and enigmatic paintings by the Swedish artist Hugo Simberg is "The Wounded Angel." This haunting and evocative work of art has captivated viewers for over a century, with its powerful and enigmatic [...]

Salvador Dali's iconic painting, "The Persistence of Memory," has captivated art enthusiasts and scholars alike for decades. The surreal depiction of melting clocks in a barren landscape has sparked numerous interpretations and [...]

Thomas Cole’s painting, The Oxbow, is a masterful example of the American landscape painting movement known as the Hudson River School. This iconic work of art, completed in 1836, captures the beauty and grandeur of the American [...]

Werbin, Barry. 'Street Art and VARA: The Intersection of Copyright and Real Estate.' Art and Advocacy Herrick 22 (2016): 1-6.Nielson, Erik. ''It Could Have Been Me': The 1983 Death of a NYC Graffiti Artist.' Code Switch: [...]

The painting Odalisque with a Slave by Ingres painted in 1839, is rendered with the utmost attention paid to details, nothing is spared from Ingres’s intensive bestowal of adornment. This intentional decision and along with the [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Wake up, sleeping beauties. It’s almost Met Gala time

FILE - Vogue editor Anna Wintour attends The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” exhibition on May 6, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

This combination of photos shows, from left, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya, will join Anna Wintour as co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala. (AP Photo)

• Copy Link copied

NEW YORK (AP) — True love’s kiss or an invite to the Met Gala? Those in the rarefied ranks of international celebrity — and Anna Wintour’s good graces — need not choose.

Stars of film, fashion, music, sports, politics and social media will ascend the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the first Monday in May — May 6, that is — to sip cocktails, have dinner and sample the new exhibit, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.” As fashion’s biggest night approaches, it’s time for The Associated Press to issue the 2024 version of our annual guide.

SO WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE MET GALA?

It started in 1948 as a society midnight supper, and wasn’t even at the Met. Fast forward 70-plus years, and it’s one of the most photographed events in the world, renowned for its head-spinning red carpet — though the carpet isn’t always red.

It’s important to note, though, that the party has a purpose, raising money for the Met’s Costume Institute — nearly $22 million last year, a record for the self-funding department — and launching the annual spring exhibit that brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the museum.

But it’s the carpet itself that draws the world’s eyes, with the 400-strong guest list the subject of rabid speculation until the last minute — a collection of luminaries that arguably makes for the highest celebrity wattage-per-square-foot of any party in the world.

WHO’S HOSTING THIS YEAR?

“Anna Wintour Me Preguntó,” Bad Bunny could sing. Multi-hyphenate Jennifer Lopez adds yet another role to her busy year. And then there are two Marvel stars who have been spending a lot of time in the desert lately: Zendaya , who has continued to stun on red carpets with her “Dune” and “Challengers” looks, and Chris Hemsworth , who is trading in Mjolnir for the upcoming “Furiosa.” (Hemsworth is, in fact, a first-time gala attendee. )

And, of course, Wintour herself.

This combination of photos shows, from left, Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya, who will join Anna Wintour as co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala. (AP Photo)

WHAT DOES THE MET GALA THEME MEAN?

The theme actually has little to do with fairytales. “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” the title of the accompanying exhibit, refers to garments from the Costume Institute’s collection that have been “in slumber” and now will be on display, some too fragile to hang upright lest they disintegrate. Curator Andrew Bolton picked 250 pieces spanning four centuries.

The theme is accompanied by a dress code — this year, it’s “The Garden of Time.” The theme and dress code are often interpreted ... loosely. So there’s a chance you may see an Aurora on the carpet, after all.

HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR A TICKET?

Wrong question. You cannot just buy a ticket. The right question is: If I were famous or powerful and got invited, how much would it cost?

OK, IF I WERE FAMOUS OR POWERFUL AND GOT INVITED, HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?

Well, you might not pay yourself. Generally companies buy tables. A fashion label, for example, would then host its desired celebrities. A table of 10 starts at $350,000 this year.

HOW CAN I WATCH?

You can watch the whole carpet unfold on a Vogue livestream. If you’re in New York, you can also join fans across the street, behind barricades on Fifth Avenue or even further east on Madison. (Get there early, if you want a spot.) And the AP will have a livestream of departures from the Mark Hotel, where many gala guests get ready.

WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE?

Entering the museum, guests walk past what is usually an impossibly enormous flower arrangement in the lobby, with perhaps an orchestra playing nearby, and over to cocktails. Or, they head to view the exhibit. Cocktails begin a half-hour earlier this year, so they start at 5:30 p.m., and last for about two hours, followed by dinner. The most famous — or those who plan the biggest entrance — sometimes come (fashionably) later.

SO WHO’S COMING?

Rihanna is the queen of dramatic entrances AND late arrivals (don’t they always go together?) and she’s said she’ll be attending, describing her outfit variously as “chill” and “simple” (we’ll see about that). If tradition holds, dinner will be well underway (perhaps even over) and it’ll still be worth the wait. Likely, the superstar and mogul will again bring partner A$AP Rocky. Other high-profile partners likely to attend, because their significant others are hosting: Ben Affleck and Tom Holland.

Hot off the Oscars, nominee Lily Gladstone has said she’ll attend and has teased a tantalizing fashion collab involving a major designer and an “unbelievable Indigenous artist.” Another fashion-forward awards circuit luminary everyone wants and expects to see on the Met steps: Ayo Edebiri. As for a certain stratospheric pop superstar dating an NFL tight end: It’s unclear. Taylor Swift it resuming her Eras Tour in Paris three days later, but she’s made tight timelines work before.

TENNIS, ANYONE?

What does Wintour love, perhaps even more than fashion? Maybe even more than Broadway? Why, tennis. Add to that Zendaya’s current tennis-themed movie, “Challengers,” and one can only imagine there will be tennis stars — perhaps famous retired ones like former hosts Serena Williams and Roger Federer. (It may be tough logistically for current players, given the clay-court season under way in Europe.) But hey, the Met Gala loves fashionable athletes. Caitlin Clark, are you listening?

My Teaching Philosophy Statement

This essay about a teaching philosophy emphasizes innovation, empathy, and empowerment as foundational elements for a dynamic learning environment. It advocates for active student participation, diversity, and the practical application of knowledge. The approach promotes critical thinking, a growth mindset, and meaningful feedback, aiming to develop lifelong learners and compassionate leaders. The philosophy embodies collaboration, inclusivity, and engagement with the wider world as key components.

How it works

In my educational approach, I blend the art of teaching with the science of inspiration, weaving together elements of innovation, empathy, and empowerment to create a dynamic tapestry of learning experiences where each student can truly flourish. Rather than simply delivering information, I see myself as a catalyst for intellectual and personal growth, igniting the flames of curiosity within each learner.

At the heart of my pedagogy lies a deep commitment to fostering student agency. I recognize that every student brings a rich diversity of backgrounds and perspectives to the classroom, and I strive to create an environment where they are active participants in their own educational journey.

Through collaborative projects, spirited discussions, and immersive activities, I aim to cultivate a culture of inquiry and exploration, where questions are celebrated and curiosity is nurtured.

Equally essential to my philosophy is the promotion of inclusivity and belonging. I firmly believe that diversity is not only a strength but a fundamental aspect of our humanity, and I work tirelessly to create a space where every voice is heard and every identity is respected. By fostering empathy, understanding, and open dialogue, I seek to build a community where students feel empowered to express themselves authentically and engage with one another in meaningful ways.

Moreover, I am deeply passionate about bridging the gap between theory and practice. I firmly believe that education should extend beyond the walls of the classroom, and I strive to integrate real-world relevance into my teachings. Whether through hands-on experiences, real-life case studies, or project-based learning, I aim to inspire students to see the connections between their studies and the world around them, motivating them to become proactive agents of change in their communities.

Furthermore, I am committed to nurturing critical thinking skills and fostering a growth mindset. In an age inundated with information, the ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate is more important than ever. Through thought-provoking discussions, challenging assignments, and opportunities for reflection, I aim to instill in my students a deep sense of intellectual curiosity and a willingness to explore new ideas, equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Finally, I believe in the transformative power of feedback and assessment as tools for growth and development. Rather than viewing assessment as a mere judgment, I see it as an opportunity for learning and improvement. By providing timely and constructive feedback, I empower my students to reflect on their progress, identify areas for growth, and set meaningful goals for their continued development.

In essence, my teaching philosophy is a mosaic of collaboration, inclusivity, relevance, critical thinking, and growth. By creating an environment where students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, embrace diversity, and engage with the world around them, I hope to inspire a lifelong love of learning, compassionate leadership, and global citizenship.

Cite this page

My Teaching Philosophy Statement. (2024, Apr 29). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/my-teaching-philosophy-statement/

"My Teaching Philosophy Statement." PapersOwl.com , 29 Apr 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/my-teaching-philosophy-statement/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). My Teaching Philosophy Statement . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/my-teaching-philosophy-statement/ [Accessed: 1 May. 2024]

"My Teaching Philosophy Statement." PapersOwl.com, Apr 29, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/my-teaching-philosophy-statement/

"My Teaching Philosophy Statement," PapersOwl.com , 29-Apr-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/my-teaching-philosophy-statement/. [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). My Teaching Philosophy Statement . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/my-teaching-philosophy-statement/ [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Climate activist who defaced Edgar Degas sculpture exhibit sentenced

Chloe Veltman

Joanna Smith was sentenced today for defacing the case of Edgar Degas' Little Dancer sculpture in 2023. National Gallery of Art hide caption

Joanna Smith was sentenced today for defacing the case of Edgar Degas' Little Dancer sculpture in 2023.

A climate activist found guilty of one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit last year for defacing the case around a sculpture by Edgar Degas at the Washington, D.C., museum was sentenced in federal court on Friday.

Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, N.Y., got 60 days of prison time out of a possible maximum sentence of five years for smearing red and black paint on the case surrounding Degas' Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen on Apr. 27, 2023. The 1881 artwork is on permanent display at the museum.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ordered Smith to serve 24 months of supervised release and 150 hours of community service, of which 10 hours must involve cleaning graffiti. Smith must pay restitution for the damage to the Degas exhibit in the amount of $4,062, a $3,000 fine, and a court fee. She is also barred from entering the District of Columbia and all museums and monuments for two years. (The maximum sentence could have included anything up to a $250,000 penalty.)

Smith undertook the action with North Carolina-based climate activist Tim Martin. They are members of the climate activism group Declare Emergency.

According to a statement from the D.C. United States Attorney's Office, Smith and Martin specifically targeted the artwork.

"Smith and the co-conspirator passed through security undetected with paint secreted inside water bottles," the statement said. "The duo approached the exhibit, removed the bottles from their bags, and began smearing paint on the case and base."

The statement said the National Gallery had to remove the sculpture from public display for 10 days, and that gallery officials said it cost over $4,000 to repair the damage.

"On April 27, 2023, the protective sanctuary for this beloved girl [Degas' "Little Dancer"] was battered. She is one of the most vulnerable and fragile works in our entire collection. I cannot overemphasize how the violent treatment of her protection barrier, repeated slamming, and vibrations, have forever jeopardized her stability," said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art, in a statement to NPR. "With increased frequency, institutions – overwhelmingly non-profit museums for the public benefit – have suffered collateral damage at the hands of agendas that have nothing to do with museums or the art attacked. The real damage that these acts of vandalism pose must be taken seriously to deter future incidents that continue to threaten our cultural heritage and historic memory."

"The 'Little Dancer' is a depiction of a vulnerable, 14-year-old girl who worked at the Paris Opera. Degas' depiction of her is beautiful and has been viewed by millions, but the 'Little Dancer' seemingly disappeared after she posed for Degas," said a statement on Declare Emergency's Instagram page explaining the action at the museum last year. "Like the 'Little Dancer,' millions of little girls and boys won't have a future because our leaders didn't act decades ago when they should have and continue to drag their feet to stop the fossil fueled climate catastrophe that is engulfing us all."

'We want to help': Why climate activists are trying something new

Smith and Martin were taken into custody following an indictment . They were charged with conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit.

Smith pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington D.C., last December.

Martin's jury trial case is scheduled for Aug. 26.

A cause célèbre

Popularly known as "The Degas Two," Smith and Martin have become a cause célèbre in climate activism circles.

Colleagues from other climate groups have spoken out publicly about the case.

Last June, around 20 members of Extinction Rebellion NYC and Rise and Resist protested the charges against Martin and Smith at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Extinction Rebellion climate activist Lydia Woolley interrupted a Broadway performance last month, yelling, "Don't forget about Joanna Smith. Don't forget about Tim Martin. Don't forget about the truth tellers. This play doesn't end when you leave the theater."

And more than 1,000 people signed a petition ahead of the sentence hearing urging judge Amy Berman Jackson to show leniency on Smith.

Climate activists have been attacking artworks recently, but how effective is this?

"Smith and Martin placed their hands in water-soluble paint and left their handprints on equipment supporting the Degas sculpture 'Little Dancer,' which portrays a child. They willingly allowed themselves to be arrested for this symbolic act of civil disobedience, which caused no harm to any person and did not result in the destruction or damage of any property," the letter to Jackson accompanying the petition states. "The right to protest in the U.S. and the history of symbolic, nonviolent civil disobedience actions are well-documented. However, these charges and this case appear to disregard past precedents and respond to these recent acts in an excessively severe manner."

Increasing penalties

Penalties against climate protest have been increasing over the past couple of years — and not just in the U.S.

Last year, for instance, two protesters from the climate activism group Just Stop Oil each received sentences of more than two-and-a-half years for scaling a bridge over the River Thames in southeast England, causing a public nuisance. (Both men ended up serving partial sentences — Morgan was released last December and Decker, this past February.)

Climate activists throw soup at glass protecting Mona Lisa in Paris

And just this week, British physician Sarah Benn, who spent more than a month in jail after a series of climate protests, was suspended by a medical tribunal for misconduct.

In Germany, police launched raids against climate activists with the Letzte Generation (Last Generation) group last year. According to an article in The Washington Post from May 2023, seven suspects "were accused of organizing a fundraising campaign to finance criminal activities, advertising them on their website and collecting at least $1.5 million in donations so far."

Broader implications

Some climate change activism experts are considering how the ratcheting up of penalties against protesters will impact the movement more broadly.

"It is putting people off for sure," said James Özden, the founder of Social Change Lab , a nonprofit that researches climate activism and other social movements. "I think it's meaningful that only a small number of people who are willing and able to take these kinds of risks are taking these kinds of actions."

Protests at art museums are nothing new. Here are 3 famous examples from history

But Özden also said the severity of governmental pushback could potentially galvanize activists towards taking even more risks.

"Even though the sentences increase, so does people's desire to actually do something about climate change and make a change and try help wherever they can. So I expect people will keep taking these actions because they don't see a viable alternative," he said.

Martin of "The Degas Two" said the inability of many people to grasp the severity of the climate change crisis is the biggest hurdle obstructing the momentum of the climate movement.

"Until the climate and social justice emergencies become more of a clear and present danger to Americans, we won't have nearly the number of supporters we ought to have who are willing to risk arrest," Martin said.

Jennifer Vanasco edited this story.

Correction April 30, 2024

An earlier version of this story did not indicate that Joanna Smith was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine on top of the amount of the restitution. NPR was originally told there was only the restitution fee. The story has been corrected here.

• climate activism
• joanna smith
• little dancer
• Extinction Rebellion
• National Gallery
• climate change
• declare emergency