How to manage exhibitions, venues and exhibition items

In this and the following topic we describe how to manage exhibitions, venues and exhibition items. For this purpose we create at least two records in the Exhibitions and venues1 data source for each exhibition and link them together: a record for an exhibition and one or more records for the venues at which the exhibition takes place. In these records we document and manage the status and details of the exhibition and its venue(s).

In the Catalogue we markClosed Marking a record means selecting it by adding a tick to the record's checkbox in Result set View or Gallery View, and in Record Details View from Collections 1.15 onwards. One or more records can be marked and then actioned in some way (e.g. printed). the records for items that are planned for inclusion in the exhibition and run the Create exhibition items task; this creates an Exhibition items records for each selected object, linked to the object's Catalogue record and to the venue and exhibition records in Exhibitions and venues.

Often an exhibition will have only one venue, but this is not always the case (a travelling exhibition will take place at multiple venues) and it is possible to link an exhibition record to more than one venue record, each one of which holds details of a particular venue, including which items are present at the venue for the purposes of the exhibition. While it is possible that all items will be exhibited at all venues during an exhibition, this may not be the case and it is possible to manage which items are present at each venue.

Note: You will have noticed that we write present at each venue for the purposes of the exhibition and not exhibited at each venue.  An exhibition item can be present at a venue but not exhibited, perhaps because the venue is not suited to the item: the item has travelled to the venue with the other exhibition items - it is present but not exhibited - and it will travel on to a venue where it will be exhibited. There is a simple way to flag that an item is present at a venue but not on display.

The recommended workflow, which we demonstrate in the following topics, is first to create a record for an exhibition in Exhibitions and venues, then create a record for each venue and link it to the exhibition record. From there we move to the Catalogue and run the Create exhibition items task to link objects to the exhibition, automatically creating an Exhibition items record for each object.

As such, there are two broad stages when managing exhibitions, venues and exhibition items:

  1. We document and manage the status and details of an exhibition and the venues at which it takes place in Exhibitions and venues records. Details here.

    Tip: Although it is possible for authorized users to create exhibition and venue records on-the-fly, it is recommended that the exhibition and venue(s) records exist before creating Exhibition items records.

  2. We document and manage each item associated with an exhibition in an Exhibition items record. Details here.