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By Jessica Pisano - August 2, 2007

How many of you have entered an art gallery or retail store only to turn and walk right out because you were visually over-stimulated? Many big corporations actually spend large amounts of money on researching what will keep customers in their stores.

The most important factor in keeping visitors in a commercial space is having an interior space that is "head-ache free" and visually appealing. In the case of an art gallery, achieving this is all about how the interior space is curated. Bottom line: Displaying the art within a gallery is just as important as the artwork itself.

What goes into curating a gallery? Hanging art is more complicated than you might think. There is no single way to curate a gallery. It depends on a multitude of factors, including the style of gallery, artists represented, and targeted clientele. Some galleries utilize all their wall space with art, while others selectively place artwork with large gaps of space between pieces. Both approaches work - and the key to a visually successful interior in any style of space is to keep it clean. Keeping a clean look within a gallery allows the viewer to take in the artwork without other visual stimulants.

Developing a successful interior involves hanging the artwork so that the pieces do not compete with each other and making sure that the gallery's interior elements - wall color, lighting, music, etc. - don't compete with the artwork as well.

Hanging artwork effectively involves placing the pieces with even amounts of space around each work. The general rule of thumb is to hang the center of the piece at eye level. However, whether the gallery has a lot of artwork on the walls or just a few pieces, equal spacing is one way to avoid visual sensory overload.

Wall color within a gallery is very important. Most walls within art galleries tend to be on the neutral side, mostly shades of white or gray. A neutral background allows the art to show its true colors.

Size and shape of artwork is also something that is looked at when a gallery hangs artwork. Work that is heavier or larger in size is better hung on the bottom with a smaller piece hung above. Large works are best hung alone with significant amount of equal space around them. It also helps to have all the work by the same artist hung in a designated area. Some galleries, like ours, are unable to do that due to the layout of their gallery space, but if a gallery has large open wall spaces then having work by the same artist all in one space works best.

Another important contributing element is lighting. Lighting is essential in giving the work the best possible representation. Many visitors might not know this, but most galleries tend to spend large amounts of money on lighting in order to create the perfect background setting for the artwork.

Aside from visual stimulants, audio also plays an interesting role. Music greatly effects how a visitor experiences a gallery. Most galleries prefer background music that does not over-power the focus of their space - which is of course the art.

Clearly, there are many details that go into curating a gallery, and I've had lots of clients tell me how well my gallery displays the art we represent. And we've achieved this by keeping all these factors in mind when curating our gallery space.

So, next time you go into a gallery, take in the interior of the space and notice how the artwork is displayed. Gallery owners not only take time and consideration into how they hang the artwork, but a lot of thought also goes into creating an interior that will support and enhance the artwork that they present.

Overall, enjoy the artwork and the gallery spaces that you visit. And, because galleries are always curating new shows, keep going to your favorite ones, because you never know what you'll see next.

Founder and director of the nonprofit Belushi Pisano Gallery in Vineyard Haven, mixed media artist Jessica Pisano wrote her graduate thesis on how the interior elements of art galleries affect the visitor's experience.