Basic 5 · Creative Arts · Displaying and Sharing
Planning an Exhibition of Visual Artworks
In this topic you will plan an exhibition of your portfolio of visual artworks to share and educate others.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Explain what a portfolio and an exhibition are
- Select and prepare artworks for display
- Plan the layout, labels and publicity for an exhibition
What you already know
- Experimenting with media
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- Visual Arts
- Sub-strand
- Displaying and Sharing
- Indicator
- B5.1.3.4.1 – Plan an exhibition of own portfolio of visual artworks to educate and share creative experiences of artworks
Introduction
Artists show their works in exhibitions so that people can see, enjoy and learn from them. You will plan an exhibition of your own artworks.
1. Portfolio and Exhibition
Portfolio: A collection of an artist's best works kept together.
Exhibition: A public display of artworks.
An exhibition shares the artist's ideas, educates viewers about a theme and can also help sell artworks. Your class exhibition can show parents and other pupils what you have learnt.
2. Steps in Planning an Exhibition
- Choose a theme and a title (e.g. "Our Ghana, Our Pride").
- Select your best artworks that fit the theme.
- Prepare the works: mount drawings on card, frame or neaten edges.
- Write a label for each work.
- Choose the venue (classroom, hall) and the date.
- Plan the layout: where each work will be displayed.
- Invite guests with posters and invitation cards.
- Share duties: hosts, guides, security, cleaning.
3. Labelling Artworks
| Information | Example |
|---|---|
| title of the work | "Market Day" |
| name of artist | Akosua Mensah, Basic 5 |
| medium | collage of fabric and seeds |
| date | October 2026 |
| short description (optional) | Shows women selling at Makola Market |
4. Display Methods
- Hang works on strings with clothes pegs.
- Pin them on display boards or walls.
- Place three-dimensional works (clay, models) on tables covered with cloth.
- Hang at eye level and leave space between works.
- Group works by type or theme.
5. Publicity
Publicity tells people about the exhibition. Design posters with the title, date, time and venue, and put them around the school. Make invitation cards for parents and teachers. Announce it at assembly.
New words
- portfolio
- A collection of an artist's best works.
- exhibition
- A public display of artworks.
- venue
- The place where an event happens.
- layout
- The arrangement of works in a space.
- label
- A card with information about an artwork.
- publicity
- Telling people about an event.
Summary
- A portfolio collects your best works; an exhibition displays them.
- Plan the theme, works, labels, venue and layout.
- Display works at eye level with space between them.
- Use posters and invitations for publicity.
Class activity: Exhibition Committee
- Form committees for selection, labelling, layout and publicity.
- Each committee writes its plan.
- Combine the plans into a class exhibition plan.
You need: Learners’ own artworks, Label cards cut from manila paper, String, Clothes pegs
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. A public display of artworks is an…
- A. exhibition
- B. orchestra
- C. drama
- D. festival
Show answer
Answer: exhibitionArtworks are shown.2. Which information belongs on a label?
- A. Title, artist, medium and date
- B. Only the price
- C. The weather
- D. The class register
Show answer
Answer: Title, artist, medium and dateGives key details.3. Artworks should be hung at…
- A. eye level
- B. the floor
- C. the ceiling
- D. behind doors
Show answer
Answer: eye levelEasy to see.4. A portfolio is a collection of an artist's works.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueUsually the best ones.5. Publicity is not needed for an exhibition.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalsePeople must know about it.6. The place where an exhibition is held is the ______.
Show answer
Answer: venuee.g. the school hall.7. List four steps in planning an exhibition.
Show answer
Answer: Choose a theme, select works, label them, plan the layout (or invite guests).Any four.8. Why should artworks be grouped by theme?
Show answer
Answer: It helps viewers understand the message and makes the display organised and attractive.Organisation.
Homework
- Design a poster for your class exhibition.