SW Curated
Curation & Event Management
I have been organising art events and exhibitions since the early 1990s for both myself and others, in both paid and voluntary capacities. I enjoy the test of creatively thinking around logistics, promotion and working with others in a team or by myself to envisage a moment and make it happen.
Working with creative people can have its challenges, but being one myself I have an inherent understanding and the patience to deliver projects successfully.
I particularly want to find new audiences for work which I truly admire and appreciate, made by my creative friends in the South West. A rural studio may sound idyllic but being located a considerable distance from London and other major cities can be a distinct disadvantage for sales and networking opportunities.
If you would love to exhibit your artwork but have no idea how to go about it, or don't have the time to organise an event. Maybe you are a member of an art group and need an outside person to take over the reins to organise an exhibition, freeing up participants to just be creative, I can offer a range of solutions.
Click image to see video examples
Case Study 1
Recently, I organised a weekend show for a painting group near Bath, many of whom had never exhibited their work before in public. For a fixed fee, I rented a venue, created a PR and social media campaign, and designed promotional material for participants, designed the hang and stewarded, dealt with sales and paid artists immediately after the event. I also organised a joyful private view which was very well attended. Sales were strong and footfall was impressive, accompanied by a good number of compliments on the standard of work and range of techniques on display. If this is something you would like to talk further about, please contact me.
Case Study 2
I have had the pleasure of working with a number of local and national arts organisations over the years. I was administrator for the 2004 Dorset Art Weeks and also began Purbeck Art Weeks in 2002 which is still going strong.
In 2004 I was asked to make the 8th Purbeck Film Festival happen in six months after their co-ordinator left abruptly. With a volunteer committee we put on over two weeks, eighty films in over twenty venues in Dorset, and made a profit!
With Prism, the international textile group, I volunteered on the committee for ten years as secretary and was also in charge of sales and the shop at the Mall Galleries, Hoxton Arches and other venues such as Harrogate and Dublin.
When studying for a Masters degree at Bath Spa University a few years ago I ensured that our large cohort in Ceramics showed their final work to its best advantage by hiring and organising the degree assessment show at 44AD gallery in the centre of Bath.
When we went into lockdown in 2020 I joined Design-Nation UK and as joint co-ordinator of Cornwall & Devon cluster have created three large scale exhibitions in the South West for group members so far.
I enjoy working with a team, but also appreciate the chance to make things happen my way. Seeing through a project is exciting, but doing that and making friends is even better. I am organised, flexible, reliable, think creatively but realistically, a completer/finisher who enjoys working with other artistic people to make dreams happen.
Case Study 3
As a curator I have initiated exhibitions in the South West, inviting a select number of artists and makers to show together at venues with a good footfall and a history of sales. By sharing the venue hire I am able to offer a reduced commission on sales therefore making it an affordable risk for artists to get involved and exhibit their work. I really enjoy promoting people I know and admire, organising social media and PR, designing the layout and stewarding of a venue. Dealing with both the practical elements of an event and engaging with visitors to create a welcoming atmosphere for all comers.
Recent Curation Projects
| 4 Days Only | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Nov 2024 |
| Make it! | Sou'-Sou'-West Gallery, Symondsbury | Nov 2024 |
| About Time | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Oct 2024 |
| Porth | The Net Loft, Porthleven |
Sep 2024 |
| Art to Art | West Barn, Bradford on Avon |
Sep 2024 |
| Porth | 44AD, Bath | Sep 2024 |
| Squares Open | Sou'-Sou'-West Gallery, Symondsbury | Aug 2024 |
| Narrative Discourse | Sou'-Sou'-West Gallery, Symondsbury | Jul 2024 |
| Art Without Age | Sou'-Sou'-West Gallery, Symondsbury | Jun 2024 |
| Helios | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Jun 2024 |
| Jonathan Mulvaney Solo | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Apr 2024 |
| Japanese Textiles | Sou'-Sou'-West Gallery, Symondsbury | Apr 2024 |
| Ever Present | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Oct/Nov 2023 |
| Art to Art | West Barn, Bradford on Avon | Oct 2023 |
| Primavera | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Apr 2023 |
| Flotsam Too | The Beachcomber, Teignmouth | Sep 2022 |
| Art to Art | West Barn, Bradford on Avon | Oct 2022 |
| Flotsam | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Jul 2022 |
| Material Matters | MAKE Southwest | Dec 2021/Mar 2022 |
| Elements | Malthouse Gallery, Lyme Regis | Nov 2021 |
| Time Lapse | Royal Cornwall Museum | May/Jul 2021 |
| also | ||
| Many years of Dorset Art Weeks venues | Creating and running Purbeck Art Weeks with large Taster Shows | Co-curating exhibitions for Design-Nation Cornwall & Devon |
Instagram: sw.curated
Contact me to talk further about your projects and dreams.