For example, if you’re naming your stone-carving exhibition, and you find that a lot of local stone carvers include the kind of stone they use in the names for their exhibits, you might want to do the same. Don’t feel like you have to choose a name like everyone else’s. If you think other art exhibition names all sound the same, break the mold and come up with something totally different!
Visit http://www. mit. edu/~ruchill/lazycurator. submit. html to start generating name ideas. You don’t have to use the exact name the website generates. Use the names for inspiration to help you come up with something of your own!
A name like “Contemporary Political Architects Deconstructed in Portraiture” is harder to understand than a name like “Observing Today’s Political Trailblazers Through Portraiture. ”
For example, instead of naming your exhibition “Exploring Global Climate Change Through Photography,” you could go with something bolder like “World On Fire!” or “World on Fire! A Photo Series. ” Don’t be afraid to be funny or self-referential with your exhibition name. For example, you could name your exhibit: “Paintings by Broke Artist. ”
For example, if you’re hoping to attract admirers of landscape paintings to your exhibit, a serious name like “Slippery Slopes; Paintings of America’s Cold, Mountainous Landscapes” would probably do a better job than a name like “Landscapes by Freezing Artist. "
For example, if your art is inspired by ancient Japanese ink paintings, but that isn’t necessarily clear in your exhibit, don’t mention that in the name. Otherwise, people will show up expecting to see an exhibition focused on ancient Japanese artwork. You can explain the more subtle nuances of your artwork to people in person at your exhibit. Don’t feel like you need to cram everything into the name.
For example, if you’re having a pottery exhibition and you want people interested in pottery to find out about it online, include the word “pottery” or “ceramics” in the name of your exhibit. Only worry about keywords if you plan on setting up a website or social media pages for your exhibit, or if there’s a chance your exhibit will get media coverage online.
For example, if your art exhibition will feature paintings of New York City’s skyline as it’s changed over the past 100 years, you could call the exhibit: “Changing Horizons; New York’s Evolving Skyline on Canvas. ”
Take the name “Endless Commute; A Photographic Collection of Drivers Stuck in Traffic,” for example. The first part of the name, “Endless Commute,” is intriguing and relatable. Most people know what it’s like to commute to work. The first part of the name draws people in without giving away too much information about the exhibit.
For example, instead of the name “Mirror Mirror; A Series of 27 Charcoal Self Portraits Sketched by a Native Texan Using Mirrors” a more concise exhibition name would be “Mirror Mirror; A Collection of Charcoal Self-Portraits. ”
