National Exhibit – SET UP, Day 1 

 

National Exhibit: Day 1, Photo Creidt: Katie Gruenhagen

 

New continent, new languages, and new venue. We are so happy to finally be in Prague. The team made it here without a hitch, and woke up this morning to begin setting up both The National and Student Exhibits.

Just before 8:00am, the National exhibit team made there way through a rather empty Prague on their way to St. Ann’s. Tip: Walk around Prague before 8:00am, it’s beautiful. We arrived to the cathedral and took a minute to take in the beautiful views of the empty cathedral as the sunlight poured through the windows.

 

St. Ann’s Cathedral empty before the exhibits are set up. The view is from the balcony that looks over the space. Photo Creidt: Katie Gruenhagen

 

We then immediately started organizing our crates, conduit, and platforms. As we were moving things around, we were starting to realize the constraints of the amount of space we had to work in. With just a three foot border surrounding our exhibit, we did not have the space we were used to in the Wells-Metz Theatre at Indiana University. Hungry and Slovakia are setting up their exhibits as well, so it took some time maneuvering around each other.

 

National Exhibit: Day 1, platforms. Photo Creidt: Katie Gruenhagen

 

Before lunch, the platforms were placed, lights and cabling were tested and staircase took shape. Not bad for our first shift. After lunch, the floor was locked together, and the conduit was organized. By 5:00, we had all the base pieces of conduit placed and even started some of the connections.

 

National Exhibit: Day 1, end of shift one, right beofre lunch break. Photo Creidt: Katie Gruenhagen

 

National Exhibit : Day 1, end of day. Photo Creidt: Katie Gruenhagen

 

Everyone is very happy with our progress! This was a HUGE accomplishment today, we all feel much better after starting the set up process.

Take a look at the photos to get a sneak peak of what’s to come. Stay tuned for more of set up, and also about how the Student Exhibit team did with their first day!

 

National Exhibit: Day 1, conduit. Photo Creidt: Katie Gruenhagen

 

Katie Gruenhagen

Katie Gruenhagen is a lighting designer and photographer living in Denver, Colorado. She recently received her M.F.A. in Lighting Design from Indiana University. Katie is the photographer and blogger covering the USITT Student Build Team for the U.S.A. National and Student Exhibits at the Prague Quadrennial 2015. As a part of the Indiana University Student Build Team, she has also served as a carpenter and electrician for the National Exhibit. At Indiana University, she was the lighting designer for nine main stage productions including Romeo and Juliet (award winning design at the 2014 Southeastern Theater Conference) and Into The Woods. To see her work and contact information, see www.katiegruenhagen.com

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