Writing Exhibit Labels

It is important to keep in mind that an exhibit is not a book on the wall. Writing exhibition labels is a unique form of writing all its own, and like anything it takes practice.

Exhibit labels are a blend of exciting words, short sentences, and creative phrasing. You have to grab the visitor’s attention right away, and make them want to keep moving through the gallery. Very few people read every word on every label, so the object is to entice them to read as many words as you can.

Always remember that you are writing for a standing audience, with a limited attention span. They are not sitting at home in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea, turning the pages of a book. If they are not interested in what you have written, they will simply walk away.

So how do you keep them reading?

First of all, if you can say the same thing in 2 words or 10 words, you better say it in 2 words. Lengthy or wordy labels instantly discourage visitors from reading your work.

You need to strike a balance between “dumbing down” your writing and talking down to the reader. You can’t assume that everyone will already know what you were talking about, but you don’t want to state too many obvious facts either. You should use simple, concise words, but that doesn’t mean you have to stick to the vocabulary of a 10 year old. In general, most exhibitions are written at a 10th grade level, similar to a newspaper.

Always have someone else read your exhibit labels, preferably someone in the education department who can help to gauge the reading level of your writing. It is important to distance yourself a bit from your writing, which will make it easier for you to digest constructive criticism. When I first started my career, I was emotionally attached to every word I wrote. Revision can only make your work better, no matter what kind of writing you do.


Types of Exhibit Labels


Introduction

The first label the visitor sees should explain what they are about to view in your exhibit. It should address the main sections, perhaps highlighting a significant object or image. The introduction should be a “teaser” to encourage people to see the rest of the show.

Visitors should walk away from your introduction knowing exactly what they are going to see, and they should be craving more. I like to conclude with a phrase that invites the visitor to “step into the gallery.”

An introduction should not simply repeat the words you have already written elsewhere in the exhibit. You can use the intro as an opportunity to explain why you chose the topic, why it is important to study, and how you went about your research. You can be a little more personal, giving your point-of-view more explicitly. But you shouldn’t bore the visitor with too much detail. Writing exhibit labels is a finely honed craft, that can take years to develop fully.


Section Labels

Think of a section label as a mini introduction for each sub-topic in your exhibition. Section labels contain the “meat” of the exhibit. There can be more than one, if the section is large enough. They should be approximately 100-200 words.

When my labels start to get too long, I break them into separate labels to reduce eyestrain on my visitors. I try to edit things down first, just to be sure I am not going on too much and using too many words.

For example, in my exhibit “Hearth & Home,” I included sections on the following topics: Cooking, Dining, Cleaning, Lighting, and Crafting. I created each poster-sized section label to give the history of each topic, using scans from vintage cookbooks and magazines to illustrate my points. I used “sub-section” labels to explore topics within the general themes. In the Cooking section, for example, I have sub-section labels on Frozen Food and Open Hearth Cooking.


Object Labels

Object labels are the shortest of all labels, describing the individual artifacts and images in an exhibit.

Usually I like to have a one word title, followed by approximately 25-50 words of description. Depending on the information collected at the time of the donation, it may be necessary to do additional research to augment the object label. People don’t just want a description of an artifact, which they can plainly see themselves, although they do appreciate it when you point out specific aspects they might not notice. Visitors want to learn something about the object they didn’t know before. They want to know when it was made, the name of its pattern, and how it was used.

It is somewhat of a controversy within the museum community on whether or not to include donor information on an exhibit label. I am of the opinion that donor information clutters up the object label with more words. Some donors prefer to remain anonymous, while others want some attention for their donations. If you want, you could include a list of donors on your credit panel instead.

Article excerpted from the ebook How to Create an Exhibit on a Shoestring Budget by Kim Kenney. The ebook is available by visiting http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art41973.asp.

Kim Kenney is the Curator of the Wm. McKinley Presidential Library & Museum in Canton, OH. She serves as Editor of the Museums Site at BellaOnline.com.