As an art student, having your work displayed in a public exhibition can be an incredibly exciting, nerve-wracking, and rewarding experience. It’s a chance to unveil your creative passions to the world and get a taste of what it’s like to be a professional artist. But what viewers don’t always realize when they walk into that sleek, polished gallery space is the tremendous amount of collaboration, planning, and hard work happening behind the scenes to make it all come together.

I recently had the honor of being one of 40 student artists featured in Open Bracket, a collective exhibition at the University of Leeds showcasing works-in-progress by graduating Fine Art students. As the exhibition title suggests, it offered a rare glimpse at the ‘behind the scenes’ into the organic development of our studio practices. Paintings, sculptures, textiles, ceramics, photography, and mixed media works lined the galleries, representing the blood, sweat, and tears of nearly a year’s worth of artistic growth.

Transforming raw creative energy into a fully mounted exhibition is no small feat. It requires immense coordination between the artists, professors, facilities crews, and administrators. Egos and expectations must be managed, budgets approved, venues secured,pieces transported safely. As a participant, I was astounded by just how much collaboration went on to make Open Bracket come alive. More happens than one might think during the months, weeks, and days leading up to opening night.

The Genesis of a Student Exhibition

Open Bracket was the ingenious collaborative idea of the final year student, who wanted to showcase our progress in a way that embraced – rather than hid – the unfinished edges and experimentation that are a natural part of the artistic process. Too often, graduating exhibitions only highlight the glossy final products, not the winding creative journeys behind them.

So early in our final fall semester, an open call went out to all Level 3 graduating BFA students to submit works-in-progress along with statements summarizing our conceptual interests. The submissions poured in digitally, and the selection demonstrated a broad range of pieces that captured the diversity of our medium interests and artistic perspectives.

Open Bracket was no mere display of technical prowess; it was a courageous statement embracing process over perfection.

The Logistical Challenges

As one of 40+ artists who nominated themselves to be on one of the organizational committees, I helped promote the show by managing social media outreach. But collaborating with so many unique artistic personalities on marketing logistics proved challenging. My peers’ skills and dedication varied widely. I often found myself scrambling to gather together content and hype last-minute when teammates missed deadlines.

These communication difficulties persisted behind the scenes. As the exhibition date approached, the scale of logistical hurdles also intensified. Our flawed human dynamicscoupled with tight timelines and moving parts quickly sparked frustration. Egos clashed, facility changes further increased tension, and the pressure to produce an incredible exhibition was apparent. Mystified individuals questioned why an exhibition demanded more than simply hanging some artworks.

My perfectionist tendencies were tested continually. This wasn’t the only thing I had to balance: planning a dinner behind the scenes for 22 people, writing 80 pages of a dissertation, submitting chemistry tests and reports etc. leaving those lower on the priority list to get pushed away. Our collective vision for showcasing “works in progress” sometimes digressed into polished presentations out of insecurity and self-doubt.

Installation Day: All Hands on Deck

In the final day before opening night, all attention shifted to physically installing the exhibition itself. With over 40 individual art pieces to be transported, unpacked, mounted, and labeled, this required serious person-power and adherence to strict timelines.

The day before opening, the installation team and artists descended upon the gallery space armed with their work, tape, nails, screwdrivers, and determination. Those with freestanding pieces carefully moved in sculptures, ceramics displays, and mixed media installations. Teams formed organically - one group assembled pedestals while another worked on hanging two-dimensional pieces per set floorplan locations. Faculty members floated around providing guidance and troubleshooting minor issues.

The energy was palpably tense yet extremely collaborative during installation. Egos and personal space concerns melted away as we literally held each other’s creative passions in our hands – mutually invested in making every piece shine. Someone was always there to provide an extra anchor, level a bumpy pedestal, move extra furniture from the cramped space. We knew Open Bracket’s success hinged on the entire body of work coming together seamlessly.

After many hours of all-hands orchestration, the last pedestal was locked into place and final labeling applied. We stood back collectively to soak it in. What had very recently been an empty gallery now burst with color, media, and our artistic visions – imperfect but brimming with promise. We had done it somehow. The student-curated exhibition space felt pro, ready for its public debut.

Takeaways from a Student-Run Exhibition

When opening night arrived, I was astounded at the professional sheen of Open Bracket. With its sleek signage and elegant installation, it mirrored group exhibitions I’d seen at respected art museums and galleries. Patrons would never guess it was orchestrated almost entirely by students and professors without formal exhibition teams.

Watching the numerous guests mingle excitedly with my peers, seeing our collaborative vision come to life, was incredibly gratifying. I realized that putting myself out there through the exhibition brought welcome new energy into my studio practice. Accountability to an end goal had spurred experimentation and forbidden me from growing complacent in my work.

What’s more, working closely with 40 other emerging artists had broadened my artistic perspective. I discovered kinship in creative vulnerabilities, learned new problem-solving skills, and saw ingenious solutions for display hurdles I’d never considered with my two-dimensional medium. My future professional artist toolbox felt better stocked thanks to Open Bracket.

So while visitors saw only the shiny façade of a seamless show, I took away so much more from the exhilarating, complex journey of manifesting it. Exhibiting as a student taught me that a successful show relies tremendously on teamwork, communication, humility to seek help, and embracing imperfect progress even through self-doubt. I suspect many renowned artists still depend on those principles.

Thank you to all those who came to see the exhibition! Your support is greatly appreciated.