Curating Light

Author: Heather Hershberger

On Walnut Street in Shadyside, there is a little gallery that is free to the public. The little-known new spot is filled with passion, white walls, and lots of art. I had the opportunity this semester to run an exhibition for this institution under the guidance of owner and founder Cornelius Martin. Wick Monet is a gallery and artist collective that strives to connect artists to the creative environment in Pittsburgh. I was able to learn so much through my experiences here. My contributions have made clear the importance of attention to detail and clear communication in gallery work. I have also gained new experience in the practicalities of exhibition making, including branding, lighting, and the nuances of arranging works of art to advance a thematic framework. By working very independently in this role I found the freedom to experiment with my passion and found great hands to help guide me. Cornelius Martin, or Neil as he prefers, was integral to the inception of my first exhibition. Helping with logistics and keeping me on track, I learned a lot about interpersonal communication within the office and the importance of planning. Together, we painstakingly planned each minute detail of the exhibition from the installation to the tear-down. This included scheduling artist installs, which I was able to help and oversee, artist interviews, opening night preparations, and gallery operation. 

Communicating with artists was the first thing I had to do with Wick Monet. The gallery prides itself on giving budding artists a place to display their work in a professional and public setting. I knew that I wanted to share this experience with artists that I know. Fellow Pitt student and light sculpture artist Derek Labar was the first person to come to mind. As I have worked with Labar in the past, it was helpful to communicate with him regarding the exhibition. While still nervous, I explained to him my vision for the exhibition. We wanted to have multiple artists be represented in the show, and identified artist Owen Lowery, who submitted a proposal to our call for artists. The pairing made perfect sense! Through the work of these two artists, I was able to craft an exhibition regarding the physical properties and our existential reliance on light in sharing our identity and existence. Working directly with these artists was truly a joy. Being able to help them realize their visions within a greater theme allowed me to be creative and thoughtful. It was wonderful to be able to see their works come together in unexpected ways. Most of my research was done through communication in filmed interviews and over coffee. Each artist had something to teach me, whether it was about microchips and mathematics or the purpose of Universal Design. 

Another major component to the exhibition was marketing. For this, I worked with Marketing Intern Megan Shostek, who designed the exhibition poster. She also helped me brand the exhibition so that the different texts were seamless and streamlined. I am thankful to the entire marketing team for promoting the exhibition. Beyond organizing artists, events, and marketing for the space, I also assisted with some elements of curation. Text was used sparingly in the exhibition, and I had to make every word count. In my opening remarks, I had to lay out the purpose and overarching intended theme of the exhibition, which was challenging and exciting. Formulating themes and questions for the viewership was very vulnerable, but I was happy with the end result. Inside the gallery, text was used to denote deeper meanings of the purpose of light and nature vs technology. Some works were also interactive and required text to encourage touch. 

Light on Art opened November 4, 2022. The opening celebration was a momentous occasion for myself and the team at Wick Monet. Creating this exhibition has been a dream, even with the roadblocks along the way. I was able to learn how to manage and collaborate with colleagues, communicate with artists, and take the practice of curation and make it into my own art. This experience is one that I will never forget, and I am incredibly thankful to the team at Wick Monet for trusting me with this exhibition.

Heather Hershberger, Museum Studies Intern at Wick Monet, Fall 2022

Constellations Group