Exhibition Planning

Term from Museum Curation industry explained for recruiters

Exhibition Planning is the process of organizing and creating museum displays and presentations that showcase artifacts, artwork, or historical items. It's like being an interior designer for museums, where professionals coordinate everything from choosing which items to display, deciding how to arrange them, and making sure visitors can easily understand and enjoy the exhibits. This role combines creative design with practical management skills. Similar terms used in the field include exhibition design, museum planning, or curatorial planning. Exhibition planners work closely with curators, conservators, and other museum staff to create engaging visitor experiences.

Examples in Resumes

Led Exhibition Planning for major Renaissance art collection, resulting in 40% increase in visitor engagement

Coordinated Exhibition Design for traveling historical artifacts showcase across 5 cities

Managed Exhibition Planning budget of $500,000 while developing interactive museum displays

Typical job title: "Exhibition Planners"

Also try searching for:

Exhibition Designer Museum Planner Exhibition Coordinator Exhibition Developer Museum Exhibition Specialist Gallery Designer Exhibition Project Manager

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you handle a major exhibition with a tight budget and timeline?

Expected Answer: Should discuss prioritization, resource allocation, creative solutions for display methods, and experience with vendor negotiation. Should mention past examples of successful exhibition management under constraints.

Q: How do you incorporate digital elements into traditional exhibitions?

Expected Answer: Should explain balance between physical and digital elements, visitor engagement strategies, and experience with interactive technologies while considering different audience needs.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors do you consider when planning exhibition traffic flow?

Expected Answer: Should discuss visitor movement patterns, accessibility requirements, spacing between displays, and how to create logical narrative progression through an exhibition space.

Q: How do you ensure proper object conservation while maintaining visual appeal?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate knowledge of display case requirements, lighting considerations, and working with conservation specialists while creating engaging displays.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic elements you consider when planning an exhibition?

Expected Answer: Should mention space layout, lighting, labels and text panels, traffic flow, and basic conservation requirements for displayed objects.

Q: How do you create engaging exhibition labels and text panels?

Expected Answer: Should discuss clear writing, appropriate length, readability, and basic principles of interpretive text for different audience levels.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic exhibition layout and space planning
  • Writing exhibition labels and text panels
  • Assisting with installation coordination
  • Understanding of basic conservation needs

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Project management and budgeting
  • Working with contractors and vendors
  • Exhibition design software use
  • Accessibility planning

Senior (5+ years)

  • Large-scale exhibition management
  • Team leadership and mentoring
  • Strategic planning and development
  • Multi-stakeholder coordination

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No hands-on exhibition installation experience
  • Lack of project management skills
  • No understanding of object conservation needs
  • Poor communication or writing skills