"Hang em high and watch em swing"

No, this is not the 1968 Clint Eastwood film, but now that you mention it, how are we going to hang our artwork? Do we just pound holes in the walls of a 100 year old building with plaster walls? Many of the galleries we visited did just that. When they wanted to move or replace artwork... more holes and more holes. Soon your walls look like Swiss cheese. Since any holes in a plaster wall really need anchors, well, I think you begin to see our dilemma.  Coupled with wanting to have low impact on a historical building, we needed a better solution.

It was back to the streets or to the galleries anyway. Most of the galleries in Flagstaff used the pound first, ask questions later. Our timing was good,  because a new gallery opened in Flag. Its name is Gallery 113; here is a link to their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gallery113. If you look through some of their pictures you can see the artwork is suspended with stainless steel cables. We didn't really like all of  the cables, as this distracted you from the actual art.

Armed with a basic knowledge of what was out there, I hit the internet. The stainless steel cable method seemed very popular, but then I came upon a similar method that used a clear tape and, while not completely invisible, it was much less distracting. http://www.gallerysystem.com/systems/detail/clear_tape_system When you check out the link,you will find they offer both the clear tape and the cable. Something to keep in mind is the weight limit. The tape will hold up to 33lbs, and each hook holds 22lbs. So you can put more than one picture on a single tape, as you can see in the photo.

The cables hold more weight, so if that is an issue you might want cables. Another plus was that you can attach lights to the track, which is the option we went with as seen to the left. The system is easy to use and the staff at Gallery System is very helpful. They will help in your layout and order, making sure you get all of the appropriate items. One thing to remember when laying out track is to leave a 2  5/8" gap between the 6.5' sections for ease of changing things around in the future.

Please check our Facebook page for more pictures at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Gallery-in-Williams/219532344759410 and while there, please Like us. Also, to see more of our artists and their art don't forget our website at www.thegalleryinwilliams.com.   As always, thanks for reading. 

Posts to look forward to are Meet the Artists by Paula Nord and The Interesting People You Meet While Working in an Art Gallery in a Tourist Town by Mary O'Brien. 

Tom Williams

The Gallery in Williams