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Drapery Pin hanging for dummies

Posted by Rob Lineberger on November 12, 2010 at 2:29pm in Questions & Answers for New Members
I have fabric-covered foam walls and plan to use drapery pins to hang my small works.  I'm confused on a couple of points.  First of all, do you hang them like this, and if so why doesn't the pin just fall right out when the artwork hangs on it?



If you instead hang it the opposite direction, and hang the artwork on the point that looks like a capital "A", it seems like your artwork would be protruding about an inch from the wall.

Help?

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Replies

  • Jacki Bilsborrow November 29, 2010 at 10:31pm
    Yes, you have to hang them in the opposite direction. I worked for an artist that used those hooks. He had a fabric draped over a metal wall divider (don't know the real name for these). The hook didn't really sag the fabric because the hook went over the metal grid work on the divider. The hook got support from the divider. That little gap on the hook didn't really allow the art work to hang that far from the wall. I don't think you will mind. I don't know what you will be displaying but I think most of the artists use those hooks. Alison is right, removing and hanging those hooks do tear up your fingers. What Robert is talking about on spacing the hooks is if you are hanging a large piece, use 2 hooks. Don't place the hooks on your wall close to each other, but several inches apart. That distributes the weight and keeps your work from tipping to one side. Also, look around at other booths and see what other artists are doing. Someone who has been doing shows for 10 years probably has things done pretty good. Hope this helps you in some way.

    Jacki B
    • Rob Lineberger > Jacki Bilsborrow November 30, 2010 at 12:44am
      Sure does, thanks! I will look to see what others are doing, but it would be too late by then for me because this is my first show. I have half of the panels built, it is coming along well!
  • Rob Lineberger November 15, 2010 at 10:40am
    Thanks for the illumination, it makes more sense now. I will "unveil" my DIY booth in another post. No carpeted walls, however -- I'm making my own booth from random objects. Perhaps it will be a huge mistake and I will run sobbing into the waiting arms of ProPanels, but for now I'm having fun. Got ~100 drapery pins for 50 cents at the Habitat for Humanity store so I'm using those, warts and all, until I get the hang of this art fair stuff.

    I still don't get the spacing issue, but I will do trail and error once I have some panels done.
  • Alison Thomas November 15, 2010 at 10:23am
    I strongly second the pro-hangers if you have carpetted walls. There will come a time when you have to move that drapery hook "just a little to the right" but it won't go in. So you end up with uneven artwork. And they tear up your fingers. And they get dull and tear up your fingers worse. And they poke through and tear the plastic bags youo keep them in. And.....
  • Robert Wallis November 13, 2010 at 2:04pm
    Like Michael said, hang them the opposite direction. Anything larger than a 12x16 frame, I use two hooks to minimize the sagging of the carpeting on the Propanels. I space them apart about the distance of the matt opening in the framed work just so I have a consistent visual reference.
  • R. Michael Wommack November 12, 2010 at 7:21pm
    I hang them in the opposite direction. You can bend and trim these hooks with a wire cutter to make them more flush. The one problem with this method is if you are using them on pro panels, the fabric can stretch out over the course of a show. (the fabric will return to it's flat self eventually)
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