My Exhibition Planning Process

Behind the scenes look into how I design my exhibitions

Mar 23, 2026

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Dear Reader,

I have three exhibitions coming up in 2026 so I’m starting to design what they will look like. Every time I show in a new space I have to come up with a new design, because each space is not only physically different, but there will be different goals and parameters. For instance, in some galleries I might not be able to use tape to put up my work, and in others tape is the only way they will let me put up the work.

The details I have for the upcoming shows are:

From April 7 - 26, 2026 I will be part of this Victoria Arts Council group exhibition in Victoria, B.C.

From May 8 - June 14, 2026 I will have a solo exhibition at the Sunshine Coast Arts Council in Sechelt, B.C.

Third show details TBD.

Most of the planning and designing I’m doing for 2026 is analog, cut and paste, in physical sketchbooks. But in 2025 it was 100% digital. Below, I share a look into both processes.

2026 ANALOG PLANNING:

Planning an exhibition of my work for a show that doesn’t yet have a date, but will happen in 2026 at some point.

The above video is me trying out taping up my work with blue painters tape, to see how it looks, for the Victoria show.

2025 DIGITAL PLANNING:

My exhibition planning and inspiration for Gallery 881:

Layout and photographs of the gallery, as reference.

Different possible sizes of printed photographs.

Inspiration for Gallery 881 exhibition installation.

Mock up of each wall of Gallery 881, using my images in the sizes I wanted to print them.

A video of me installing the Gallery 881 show can be seen here.

Photographs of the Gallery 881 exhibition:

Gallery 881 installation photography by Rachel Topham.

Gallery 881 installation photo by Rachel Topham.

4x6 photos of my dad’s life, which I inherited after he died. Installation photo by Rachel Topham.

A video of Rachel doing the exhibition photography can be seen here.

Galerie Sans Nom Exhibition planning and installation:

Photograph of the gallery and photo print sizes.

Mock up of each wall of the gallery and my plan for which photographs to exhibit.

A video of me installing the Galerie Sans Nom exhibition can be seen here.

Photographs of the Galerie Sans Nom exhibition:

Collaged photo wall. Installation photography by Ranz Jaren.

Detail of the collaged photo wall. Installation photography by Ranz Jaren.

A photograph of my dad, enlarged and printed onto paper installed with tape so that the edges would intentionally curl. Installation photography by Ranz Jaren.

Rooney’s exhibition planning and inspiration:

Mock up of the wall with my photographs.

Mock up of the wall with my photographs, digitally placed in, over the photograph of Rooney’s.

A video of the Rooney’s exhibition installation can be seen here.

The completed Rooney’s exhibition:

In other news, I’m still doing Postcard Club and will be shipping out the April postcard in a couple weeks. Postcard Club is a monthly mail club where I send one of my photographs as a postcard with a short write up on the back, usually about the process of making the photograph. There’s still time to sign up to receive April.

As always, thanks for being here!

Jackie

Aunt Jackie

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