Conservators also “learned by doing” by mocking up didactic materials to determine what types of black media were used in these works (over 20 distinctive kinds of charcoals, crayons, and chalks!). By closely examining the materials of each drawing or print, Nancy and Michelle were able to distinguish individual artists’ techniques. “No two drawings are the same,” Michelle said. Nancy added, “We spend time with each object to try and understand it. It’s all very considered.”
The exhibition itself will feature a strong conservation aspect so viewers can understand the works from both an artistic and a material standpoint.
Registrar: Wrangling Jet-Setting Artworks
The Registrar’s Office makes sure that all of the art going in and out of the Getty is safe, secure, and ready for travel. Working closely with the curators and the exhibition coordinator, registrars began working on Noir over a year ago.
After receiving the curator’s final objects list, registrars process and send out letters to multiple lenders requesting loans for the exhibition. While facilitating the loans can sometimes lead to many back-and-forth emails between organizations, exhibitions registrar Kanoko Sasao says the loan process for Noir was “pretty straightforward,” as most of the loans were from private collections that have been onsite at the Museum for quite some time, or from local museums. (Compare this to the recent Power and Pathos sculpture exhibition at the Getty, which had nearly 35 lenders from all over the world!)
Registrars also collaborate with conservation staff to ensure that packing specifications are up to the highest standards and all artworks are stable enough to travel. Once the art safely arrives at the Museum, the art preparators (“preps”)—professionals trained in safely handling multiple types of artwork, from massive sculptures to delicate drawings—install the art on the gallery walls.
While registrars often work behind the scenes and process a lot of paperwork, there’s never a dull moment. For Kanoko, “It’s all exciting. I love working on exhibitions. After all the paperwork, loan negotiations, budgeting, proofing, data, and arranging the insurance and shipment for the artworks—my exciting moment is when the actual loans arrive, and after looking at thumbnail images of the objects, you finally get to see them in their full glory.”
Exhibitions: Putting the Puzzle Together
If all of these departments are puzzle pieces that come together to form an exhibition, the exhibition coordinators are the puzzle-solvers, making sure all of the pieces are put in the right place at the right time. They collaborate with all involved departments to make every piece of an exhibition happen.
“It’s a lot of meetings,” said Susan McGinty, the exhibition coordinator for Noir. It begins with a budget meeting, where curators propose potential exhibitions at least a year in advance. Once the show is approved, the exhibition coordinator creates a detailed schedule for each department involved in the show.
Later on there’s the design meeting, where the look and the content of the exhibition are presented to the Museum director. Things like floor plans, paint colors, installation plans, and promotional materials are discussed at this time, to be finalized later after being reviewed by curators, educators, registrars, and many others.
For Noir, additional meetings were necessary to bring together didactic cases, something curators and conservators are especially excited about. These cases contain samples of the types of materials artists used in their works, allowing viewers to “be on the inside” of the artists’ technical processes.
Once all of the materials are ready to go—the art, wall labels, promotional materials, video/multimedia installations, and the hundred other things that make up an exhibition—the art preps, curators, conservators, registrars, and exhibition coordinators gather for the art installation, which can take anywhere from two to three weeks.
As Susan said: “Everybody does what they need to do, and the show opens!”