From top left anti-clockwise: Nina Stromqvist, Danielle Robson, Owen Craven, Lleah Smith, Bronwyn Bailey-Charteris, John Wilson.
What do curators actually do? The profession can seem quite elusive, which isn’t overly surprising as curators are often working behind the scenes to facilitate and present the work of artists.
Ask a Curator Day was formed in 2010 with the hope of shedding some light on the varying types of curatorial roles. Originally using the networking power of Twitter to create direct engagement around the globe, the event soon spread to Youtube and Facebook and allowed anyone who was curious to propose questions to any curators partaking.
This year, the event took place under the name ‘Ask A Museum’ day on September 14. The aim was to recognise that there are a multitude of staff and volunteers which make museums the cultural institutions that they are.
At Soda, we put our own spin on this day - to recognise that art isn’t only present and celebrated within museums and traditional institutions. Curators work in all spaces of culture - public spaces, private spaces, as well as institutions. While this event has been reframed as ‘Ask A Museum’ day for positive reasons, we decided to tip our hat to our cultural neck of the woods: curators at large.
In the week surrounding Ask a Curator (Museum) Day on 14th September, we interviewed some of our talented curator peers in order to dig a little deeper into what they do. The bite-sized versions can be seen on our Instagram, and the full length versions here.
Who we interviewed:
Nina Stromqvist
Nina is a Swedish born, Australian based curator and educator who is currently the Curatorial Programs Manager at Penrith Regional Gallery. Her research interests are focused upon contemporary art practices from the Nordic and Trans-Tasmin regions, particularly in relation to sonic histories and the body. Nina lectures in the Masters of Art Curating at the University of Sydney, specialising in Contemporary Curating, and Writing in the Expanded Field.
Bronwyn Bailey-Charteris
Bronwyn independent Australian/Swedish curator, writer and lecturer based in Sydney. Her research interests are focused upon processes of watery thinking in contemporary art, ecology as social metaphor and feminist methodologies of curatorial practice. Working with practical learning platforms, publications, and exhibitions, she is a lecturer at Stockholm University and guest lecturer at the Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm University of the Arts and Sydney University.
Lleah Smith
Lleah Smith’s practice is shaped by three distinct modes of being, including her work as a pedagogical practitioner, her role as Curator, Programs and Learning at the Biennale Sydney and as a PhD researcher who is focused on acknowledging the conceptual and creative rigour that is central to arts pedagogy.
Lleah is committed to collective processes where ‘learning’ is the medium, the artwork and the education. She situates her work through the lens of relational pedagogy where dialogical exchange is central to the encounter and prioritises acts of care and hospitality as tools for generating soft spaces that can hold moments of discomfort.
Jonathan Wilson
Jonathan’s multidisciplinary practice specialises in contemporary music, community engagement and visual arts programming. Wilson is currently the Music and Community Curator at the Art Gallery of NSW.
An ARIA nominated musician; he has released multiple albums internationally and co-composed for TV, film and podcast series. In 2019 he created the Art Gallery event ‘Masters of Modern Sound’ and recently was a co-curator for the Art Gallery of New South Wales exhibition ‘Sol LeWitt: Affinities and Resonances’ and ‘Local Rhythms and Actions’.
Owen Craven
Owen is currently the Managing Principal for UAP and a Senior Curator. He has over 15 years experience in the Visual Arts industry, and previously has been the Editor of Artist Profile and Art Almanac magazines. In these roles, Owen curated several significant group exhibitions that toured both nationally and internationally.
Our very own Danielle Robson!
In 2018, Danielle launched Soda Arts. From 2015 - 2018 she was Co-Founder and Director of ArtsPeople, an arts company with offices in Sydney and Tokyo. Prior to this Danielle was Creative Programs Manager at Object: Australian Design Centre, where she curated ground-breaking nationally touring exhibitions.
Danielle has delivered major creative projects for partners such as Sydney Festival, Sydney Opera House, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Arup, Sydney and UTS, Sydney.
We’d like to thank all of our very talented and thoughtful curatorial friends and colleagues for sharing their insights about their practice and the importance of art for Ask a Curator (Museum) Day!
Written by Melanie Booth