Inspired by the recent Photoworks ‘Festival in a box’ show in Gallery 1, this week’s Saturday Art Club is all about becoming a curator for the day! 

Part of a curator’s job is to choose which artworks go on display in an exhibition, and where they are hung in the gallery.

The ‘Festival in a box’ contained photographic prints by a range of artists which you could unfold and display in your home. There were endless combinations you could choose from to hang the prints, such as side by side, spaced far apart, or overlapping. In this way, anyone can try being a curator!

Today we are going to show you how to create your own miniature version of Gallery 1 at GoMA, and you can be a curator for the day by choosing your favourite artworks to be displayed in your exhibition. You could think about a theme for your exhibition, or a story you would like to tell through the artworks you select. We chose the theme of ‘playful’, and chose paintings ‘Merge Sort’ by Walter Price, and ‘Hen Party II’ by Beryl Cook, and the sculpture ‘Hamlet in a Japanese Manner’ by Eduardo Paolozzi.

Method:

You will need:

• 2 cereal boxes (or other type of cardboard box)
• Masking tape
• Paint/pens/coloured pencils
• Scissors 
• Glue
• Printer (optional)

Step 1: Turn one cereal box inside out to create a blank surface to paint on. You can use masking tape to hold the edges together. 

Step 2: Use paint, pens or coloured pencils to create the gallery floor. We painted the Gallery 1 tiles, but you can try any floor design you like! (Maybe some funky black and white checkered tiles?)

Step 3: Use the other cardboard box to cut out 2 identical frames the same width as the 1st box. Use masking tape to tape them together with the plain cardboard sides facing outwards. 

Step 4: Use paint, pens or coloured pencils to create the foreground for your gallery. We used the pillars and ceiling in Gallery 1 to create a grand interior. Glue or tape the frame to the front of your first box.

Step 5: Choose the artworks you would like to ‘curate’ for your exhibition. You can use a printer to print them out or draw them yourself on some cardboard. If you have used a printer, cut the images out and glue them onto the cardboard. Make sure to leave a strip of cardboard at the bottom of your image. 

Step 6: Choose where you would like to put the artworks in your gallery. Have an adult help you use a pair of scissors to carefully cut a slot in the cardboard box. You can then slot your artworks into place. 

We would love to see the mini exhibitions you have come up with, so make sure to tag us on social media! #SaturdayArtClub