Special exhibitions can be about a particular artist or a style or a period of art. It can take several years to plan an exhibition, and many people are involved. Arrangements are often made to borrow works of art from different museums around the world. Curators decide what will be in the exhibition and how the works will be displayed. They also write the catalogue (book) and the wall labels to inform visitors about the art. Designers draw plans and make detailed scale models to show where objects will be placed. They even put tiny copies of works of art in the models. A few weeks before the exhibition opens, the galleries are prepared and the works of art are installed. A banner is hung in front of the Museum to tell people that the special exhibition is open.
When a permanent gallery is opened, or an old one is rearranged, the same procedure takes place, except that the works of art are from the Met's own collections. The Metropolitan Museum presents more than thirty exhibitions each year representing a wide range of artists, periods, and cultures.
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