{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-story-js","path":"/story/beyond-museum-walls-the-invisible-art-of-exhibition-design-6wi7oEAc7XCt0lIaIcfQY9","result":{"data":{"story":{"title":"Beyond Museum Walls: The Invisible Art of Exhibition Design","contentful_id":"6wi7oEAc7XCt0lIaIcfQY9","teaser":null,"author":null,"body":{"json":{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Whether we’re losing track of time in front of our favorite painting or wandering the galleries of a museum hoping to have a spontaneous experience, we come to art to learn, to get lost and to find ourselves. We come to this place for magic, if you will. Usually, we aren’t thinking about how the magic is made. It isn’t the artist’s endless hours of toil or the curator’s seamless vision that goes unnoticed. The third, silent partner in making the magic happen is the often-overlooked labor of exhibition design.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“If I’ve done my job well, people don’t notice the design,” said Meghan Moran, Senior Exhibition Graphic Designer at the ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.famsf.org"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":" (de Young and Legion of Honor). “They just instinctively know where to go and what to read.” ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Exhibition designers are the creative professionals within a museum staff who oversee everything from function to accessibility, working directly with curators and artists to bring the narrative of an exhibition to life.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“I create the condition for a certain experience to happen,” said Marco Centin, manager of exhibition design at the ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://asianart.org"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Asian Art Museum","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":". “It’s all about creating focus, concentration, flow and access to the object.”","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Designers play a pivotal part from early on in the process. Once an exhibition’s curator has dreamed up a preliminary checklist, design conceptualizes the layout and helps to determine the final checklist based on design constraints and opportunities, translating the vision from imagined to physical space. This comes with its own set of caveats.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“So much of the process is about working around restrictions,” said Julia Pike, an exhibition designer at the Fine Arts Museums. “You have to align the content with the architecture, and there are lots of moving parts.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Accessibility has recently become a guiding principle for exhibition designers, who aim to create a welcoming environment for a broad range of visitors with varying degrees of physical ability and prior arts knowledge.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{"target":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"cex3swddvjuk","contentful_id":"cex3swddvjuk"}},"id":"c6zkOmHi5pyTbLovPatISEQ","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2026-08-17T20:07:41.604Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T20:07:41.604Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment","contentful_id":"master"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentful_id":"6zkOmHi5pyTbLovPatISEQ"},"fields":{"title":{"en-US":"01. Reimagined The Fisher Collection at 10 (installation view); photo Don Ross, courtesy SFMOMA"},"description":{"en-US":""},"file":{"en-US":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/6zkOmHi5pyTbLovPatISEQ/cd2d8562f149490b4e3ffe1d5ab7c33d/01._Reimagined_The_Fisher_Collection_at_10__installation_view___photo_Don_Ross__courtesy_SFMOMA.jpg","details":{"size":518797,"image":{"width":1000,"height":705}},"fileName":"01. Reimagined The Fisher Collection at 10 (installation view); photo Don Ross, courtesy SFMOMA.jpg","contentType":"image/jpeg"}}}}},"content":[],"nodeType":"embedded-asset-block"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"SFMOMA Design Director Scott Moulton believes in presenting a strong entry point for visitors, as illustrated in\"Ways of Seeing: Fourteen Artists\" part of the museum's \"Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10.\"  Image courtesy SFMOMA. Photo Don Ross.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"One approach to meeting the latter goal is to make art more personal. At ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/rm-x-sfmoma/"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"SFMOMA","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":", the recent \"","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.sfmoma.org/read/reimagining-the-fisher-collection/"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Reimagined: The Fisher Collection at 10","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":",\" which overhauled four floors in the museum, focuses on creating a more accessible experience than its previous iteration by centering the artists themselves, rather than placing their artworks in a vacuum. “This creates a stronger entry point for visitors and gives them the chance to see themselves in the work,” said SFMOMA’s Design Director Scott Moulton.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Similarly, the ephemera section in \"","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://museumca.org/on-view/mildred-howard-poetics-of-memory/"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":",\" at the ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://museumca.org"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Oakland Museum of California","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":", aims to give visitors insight into Howard’s history, process and personality in a way that was experiential and allowed her to speak for herself. To execute this, the design team spent time in Howard’s Berkeley live-work loft, getting to know her and her process, witnessing firsthand the fluidity with which her art and life have become intertwined. The red of the walls is the same shade Howard had painted the walls of her own living room, while the arrangement of ephemera was inspired by the way Howard arranges items in her living space.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{"target":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"cex3swddvjuk","contentful_id":"cex3swddvjuk"}},"id":"JyRoTPE7ZRHIxFw23uaap","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2026-08-17T20:10:08.363Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T20:10:08.363Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment","contentful_id":"master"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentful_id":"JyRoTPE7ZRHIxFw23uaap"},"fields":{"title":{"en-US":"mildred"},"description":{"en-US":""},"file":{"en-US":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/JyRoTPE7ZRHIxFw23uaap/4d7aab811d4de842a738e09ab57b344a/mildred.jpg","details":{"size":554876,"image":{"width":1000,"height":666}},"fileName":"mildred.jpg","contentType":"image/jpeg"}}}}},"content":[],"nodeType":"embedded-asset-block"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"\"Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory,\" currently on view at the Oakland Museum. The design team spent time with Howard at her Berkeley live-work loft, getting to know her and her process to inspire the layout. Courtesy of Oakland Museum of California. Photo by Christine Cueto.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Sometimes design meets visitors' needs in subtler ways, especially when it comes to creating a space for disabled patrons. This might include adjusting font choices and sizes to aid the visually impaired or hanging artworks lower than usual to make them more accessible for kids. Wall texts at the Fine Arts Museums are often translated into Chinese, Spanish and English and all of the museums’ newly built vitrines are ADA-compliant in height.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“Each exhibition has a new set of challenges and requires a different starting place,” said Ven Voisey, the Oakland Museum of California’s Design and Graphic Production Supervisor. “Those initial challenges are the most difficult and the most enjoyable. We get to dive in and nerd out on a brand-new topic or artist.”","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"For \"","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/treasures-pharaohs"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Treasures of the Pharaohs","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":",\" now showing at the de Young, the designers collaborated with hieroglyphics experts to ensure accuracy when incorporating these motifs into decorative elements of the exhibition’s design.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“You can’t just put up any hieroglyphics,” Pike said. “There will be people coming who can read them. You want to be an institution who cares and does things correctly.”","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"While a mistranslation might be among the more dramatic offenses, the experience of looking at art should always feel intuitive and seamless. This kind of immersion is a high priority of design.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"For Pharaohs, creative lighting techniques – as a budget alternative to building new walls – were used to create the immersive experience of entering into a tomb. In SFMOMA’s \"","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/matisse-femme-au-chapeau/"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":",\" which focuses on the history of the titular Matisse masterpiece, the designers worked to create an environment reminiscent of the French salons where the painting was first exhibited.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“Sometimes the design has to be really loud and make a statement that takes you from one installation to another,” Centin said. “You have to play into the visitor’s cycle of focus.”","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{"target":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"cex3swddvjuk","contentful_id":"cex3swddvjuk"}},"id":"c1GRpcNNtWjv6ufrckL3OyA","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2026-08-17T20:08:49.609Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T20:08:49.609Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment","contentful_id":"master"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentful_id":"1GRpcNNtWjv6ufrckL3OyA"},"fields":{"title":{"en-US":"Installation view of Rave into the Future - Art in Motion October 24, 2025 - January 12, 2026. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, by Kevin Candland. 13"},"description":{"en-US":""},"file":{"en-US":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/1GRpcNNtWjv6ufrckL3OyA/75d6b06957589b3696ac50cb01e62eb1/b94901b5-2fe8-4192-acf9-dacdca2ff2e9.jpg","details":{"size":1095292,"image":{"width":1200,"height":757}},"fileName":"Installation view of Rave into the Future - Art in Motion October 24, 2025 - January 12, 2026. Photograph © Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, by Kevin Candland. 13.jpg","contentType":"image/jpeg"}}}}},"content":[],"nodeType":"embedded-asset-block"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Asian Art Museum's 2025 \"Rave into the Future: Art in Motion.\"  Image courtesy Asian Art Museum. Photo by Kevin Candland.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"For \"","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/rave-into-the-future/"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Rave into the Future","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":",\" a 2025 Asian Art Museum celebrating dance culture, the environment needed to be visually bold and unifying while supporting multiple competing installations – like a noisy room.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Each installation was visually and sensorially isolated, Centin explained, while the layout of the space helped move visitors from one piece to the next.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"At the other end of the spectrum, \"","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://exhibitions.asianart.org/exhibitions/vishnus-cosmic-ocean/"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":",\" which opens at the museum in October, features a single object – a statue of the Hindu god Vishnu from the Cambodian kingdom of Angkor. The seasonal cycle and association with water that Vishnu represents has been leveraged here to create a sense of reverence. The sound of water from the exhibition’s video component plays in the background throughout the exhibition and a backdrop representing an abstract landscape, with a projection of passing clouds, creates a serene environment.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Sound design was similarly implemented at the Oakland Museum in \"Poetics of Memory\" – Bill Evans’s 1958 piano composition \"Peace Piece\" plays on a loop throughout the exhibition. While the work on view is grouped thematically, rather than chronologically the piece of music acts as a thread creating a sense of cohesion and helping visitors to navigate the space. “The space between notes is as important as the notes being played,” Voisey – a sound artist in his personal practice – said. “I kept that in mind when thinking about the construction of this environment.”","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Whether it’s finding ways to incorporate music or other unconventional elements, finding creative solutions to budgetary constraints, or simply ensuring that museum visitors of all backgrounds feel welcome and comfortable viewing art, exhibition designers aim to overcome these challenges in a way that appears effortless.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"“There’s a Charles Eames quote about design depending on the sum of the constraints,” Moulton said. “Design is nothing if not a series of challenges. But meeting those challenges is the most rewarding part of the job.”","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[],"nodeType":"hr"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Main Image: Installation view of \"Treasures of the Pharaohs,\" de Young museum, San Francisco, 2026. Creative lighting techniques were used to create the immersive experience of entering into a tomb. Image courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Photography by Gary Sexton.","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"\n","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"document"}},"images":[{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/cex3swddvjuk/5GsDtqpT8fEojTyUWKWXlw/ccf7831f20edc41d18031de0b4e57425/deYoung-Pharaohs-2026-Sexton.jpg"},"description":""}],"events":null}},"pageContext":{"id":"6wi7oEAc7XCt0lIaIcfQY9"}},"staticQueryHashes":["1886394648","1911502498","2377943386","2767305448","2768694351","4151540765"]}