Who Organises an Art Exhibition? The Real People Behind the Scenes

Most people think it’s all about the artist showing off their latest work, but that’s just one tiny slice of the pie. If you’ve ever walked into an art exhibition and thought, ‘Wow, this looks effortless,’ just know there’s way more going on than meets the eye. Putting together an art show is like building a house—you need more than just the bricks.

The main question always pops up: who actually organises an art exhibition? Is it just one person running the show, or a whole squad behind the curtains? The short answer is: it takes a team. From finding the right space to picking which pieces to hang and even sorting out snacks for the launch night, different people step up and handle all sorts of jobs, making sure nothing slips through the cracks.

If you’ve ever wanted to get involved or just want to understand how these events work, knowing who pulls the strings is a game-changer. You don’t need to be a full-blown art insider, either. Once you know who does what, the whole scene starts making way more sense—and you might even spot a few opportunities for yourself in the process.

• Who's Really in Charge?
• What Does a Curator Actually Do?
• How Galleries and Spaces Get Involved
• The Artist’s Role in Making the Show
• Behind-the-Scenes: Event Staff, Marketers, and More

Who's Really in Charge?

If you think an art exhibition just appears out of nowhere, think again. Behind every show, there’s someone calling the shots—and it’s usually the curator. In big museums, curators are like project managers with an art obsession. They make the big decisions about what’s on display and why. But in smaller galleries or pop-up shows, you might find it’s the gallery owner, an artist collective, or even an independent event organizer running things.

Let’s break it down with the usual suspects who might take charge:

• Curators: They pick the art, create a theme, and decide how everything fits together. Big-name curators can boost an event’s status overnight.
• Gallery Owners: In smaller spaces or commercial galleries, the owner often acts as the boss. They handle logistics, money, and sometimes even do the curating themselves.
• Independent Organisers: For festivals or temporary exhibitions, a freelance professional steps in to coordinate everything—sometimes juggling multiple venues and dozens of artists at once.
• Artists: In DIY or self-funded shows, artists may run the whole gig themselves—from booking the space to hanging the art.

In practice, these roles often overlap. Take the 2023 Venice Biennale as an example: Adriano Pedrosa, the curator, worked with a team of associate curators, all supported by event managers and lots of admin staff. At a local level, look at group exhibitions in cities like Berlin or Los Angeles—these often kick off with a couple of artists or a gallery director making all the calls, but by the end, several people are juggling planning, promotion, and even sales.

To give you a quick overview of who leads what, here’s how different types of exhibitions usually work:

Here’s a tip: If you want to get involved, figure out who’s wearing the boss hat for the exhibition you’re interested in—that’s the person you want to pitch your ideas to, or offer your help. No one gets far in the art world flying totally solo, even if it sometimes looks that way from the outside.

What Does a Curator Actually Do?

Forget the idea that a curator just picks random artwork and hangs it on the wall. This person is basically the brains of the operation. The art exhibition wouldn’t look half as good (or make nearly as much sense) without their vision and planning.

So, what does a curator really do? It starts with an idea or a theme. Maybe it’s a collection of street art, maybe it’s all about climate change, or maybe it’s just highlighting new local talent. The curator shapes the whole story of the show around that main concept.

• Finding and Choosing Artworks: They spend hours—sometimes months—researching, talking to artists, and checking out portfolios, studios, or even Instagram accounts.
• Negotiating Loans and Permissions: Museums and collectors usually don’t just hand you a famous painting. Curators handle all the official talks, paperwork, and deadlines.
• Designing the Space: Curators plan which piece goes where, what order you see things in, and even the lighting. The entire vibe of the show is their call.
• Working with Artists: They don’t boss everyone around, but they do guide artists about what fits the show, deadlines, and how to present their work.
• Writing Texts: Labels, catalogues, and all those little info cards—curators make sure they’re accurate and easy to understand.

Curators also deal with a mountain of logistics—budgets, timelines, and coordinating with everyone from installers to marketing teams. According to the American Alliance of Museums, over 70% of mid-to-large art exhibitions in the U.S. are curated by professional curators, many of whom juggle up to 10 projects at once.

A great curator isn’t just about having a good eye. The best ones understand people, trends, and the nitty-gritty of logistics. If you get a chance to talk to a curator at a show, ask them about their craziest deadline story—their answer will probably surprise you.

How Galleries and Spaces Get Involved

Think of the gallery as the main stage for any art exhibition. Without this crucial piece, even the best art would just sit around in storage. Galleries, art centers, pop-up spaces, and even coffee shops with blank walls are always searching for new shows to draw in visitors. Their team usually includes a director, a manager, and an installer who actually handles hanging the work and making the space look sharp.

The process often starts with galleries putting out open calls for proposals, or they might approach artists or curators they already know. Artists sometimes pitch their own ideas directly to small local spaces—that’s how lots of fresh talent gets discovered. Bigger galleries prefer to work with established names, but even they take a calculated risk now and then to keep things interesting.

Once a show is greenlit, the gallery handles a ton of logistics that most people forget:

• Booking the dates (some shows get scheduled a year in advance!)
• Helping with transportation and insurance for the art
• Coordinating the actual setup—this is called installation and can take days, not hours
• Promoting the event through email blasts, social media posts, and sometimes press outreach
• Selling the artwork (most keep a commission, usually 30-50%)

Want a glimpse into how important the gallery is? In a 2023 global survey, over 67% of galleries said group exhibitions are their top way to connect with new collectors and audiences. That’s huge for both the gallery and the artist.

Here’s the thing—any art exhibition needs a space that fits the work and the vibe. Not every gallery takes the same approach, so it pays to research before you reach out. Some focus on paintings, others only want new media installations, and a few will let you transform the whole room if your idea is bold enough.

The Artist’s Role in Making the Show

If you think the artist just drops off their paintings at the door and walks away, think again. The artist is usually right at the center of the whole process—without them, obviously, there’s no art exhibition. But their part is way bigger than just creating the work.

First off, artists pick which pieces to show. Sometimes, they have to adapt their work to fit a theme or work with the size and vibe of the space. They tend to coordinate closely with the art exhibition curator or gallery staff to figure out the best way to show their art. You might see an artist helping to arrange the pieces for the right flow or mood, and they usually approve where everything's going to be hung or displayed.

Besides the art itself, many artists write statements or offer background stories about their work. These short write-ups show up on the wall or in the program, giving visitors some behind-the-scenes context. For group shows, artists often need to promote the event, jump in with their own social media, and spread the word to friends, fans, and collectors. Don’t be surprised if they’re the ones answering questions on opening night or guiding people through the work.

• Artists must deliver all pieces on time, after double-checking labeling and framing are solid—if something falls, it’s their name on the line.
• They need to stick to all sorts of details the gallery asks for, like sizes, insurance, and shipping info.
• If anything sells, most artists do a follow-up with buyers or help with arrangements for pickup or delivery.

Sometimes—for smaller DIY shows or pop-ups—the artist acts as both the planner and the worker, doing everything from hanging lighting to grabbing extra tape. Either way, their engagement shapes the show’s vibe and success.

Behind-the-Scenes: Event Staff, Marketers, and More

If you think an art exhibition runs itself, think again. There’s a small army working quietly in the background to make sure everything goes smoothly. These people might not get the spotlight, but the event would fall apart without them. Let’s break down who does what when the doors open and even before that.

First, meet the event staff—the unsung heroes. These folks handle everything from setting up lighting and pedestals to keeping the space spotless. In bigger shows, you’ll also find security staff making sure the artwork (and visitors) stay safe. Most galleries in bigger cities will hire freelance professionals or even part-timers for these roles, since every show comes with its own quirks.

Marketing teams play a massive role, too. They handle all the buzz around the show—think press releases, email blasts, social media posts, and flyers. Without them, most exhibitions would be ghost towns. A standout fact: According to a report by Artsy in 2023, over 60% of people hear about local exhibits through Instagram posts and stories. Email newsletters are another hot channel, with a direct open rate that still hovers around 22%, based on benchmarking studies from Campaign Monitor.

Don’t forget the people at the front desk. These staffers greet guests, answer questions, and sometimes sell programs or tickets. If there’s an opening night, there might be caterers, photographers, and even AV techs making sure everything’s in sync. The list keeps going—but every single person counts.

• Event staff: set up, manage, and troubleshoot throughout the show
• Marketers: get the word out, handle press and publicity
• Front desk: welcome visitors, manage crowd flow, sell merch if there’s any
• AV/catering: sort out food, sound, and picture-perfect lighting

Leonardo Navarro, director of operations at a well-known London gallery, put it simply:

"You never see them, but the logistics crew is just as critical as the artists or the curators. If they screw up, trust me, everyone notices."

So, next time you walk into an exhibition and everything feels just right—perfect lighting, seamless music, maybe even a glass of wine—remember, it’s not magic. It’s teams of real people hustling hard behind the curtain.