Session 202: From the Mind to the Wall: Exhibiting Your Photography with Kathryn Conrad

So you have a body of work — how do you get it seen? And once a gallery, restaurant, or store has put you on their exhibit schedule, how on earth do you make a compelling show out of your individual photographs? 

You already know that decisions are made at every step of the photographic process. You’ve thought about what to shoot, where and when to shoot it, composition, camera settings, computer edits…approaching these decisions with possible displays in mind can set your photography to its best advantage and give you a leg up in competing for gallery space.

As we go through the installation process from a curator’s perspective, you’ll find that composing an exhibit is not all that different from composing a photograph. Whether you’re looking to sell prints or just wanting to share your passion with the public, understanding the process and principles of exhibit design will give you new tools to assess your work and elevate your photography to the next level.  

Kathryn Conrad has been taking photographs for 22 years, although she switched her focus to moving images after getting her BFA in film from UT Arlington. She worked in film production and post-production for 8 years before joining the Williamson Museum in Georgetown, Texas, where she currently serves as curator. She has worked with Linda Nickell on two photography exhibits for Texas Through Her Lens, with a third planned in August, and has been on the planning committee of the Texas Photography Festival (formerly the Georgetown Texas Photography Festival) for four years. Kathryn also holds a BA in History from Texas A&M, and is pursuing a graduate degree in arts management and creative industries. Most of the photos she takes these days are of her two kids, who just received their first cameras.