CREATe THE CURATOR

Arts North West is excited to announce another successful project rolling out in the coming months. Create the Curator is a professional development program aimed at providing emerging regional Aboriginal curators with an opportunity to build on their skills and establish themselves as curators living and working in regional NSW.

Four regional Aboriginal emerging curators will participate in a three part professional development project to build their skills, experience and networks and gain significant insight into the various environments curators work in. Professional and renowned curators Sandra McMahon, Caroline Downer and Sharni Jones will work with the participants through a series of workshops and site visits. These visits will include a variety of creative spaces from, Aboriginal owned and run galleries, regional galleries, commercial galleries to community spaces throughout the Armidale, Tamworth and Moree region. Arts North West has contracted the management of this project to 2 Rivers Pty Ltd. “This is an excellent opportunity for experienced arts workers to develop into regional Aboriginal curators enabling them to promote not only their own skills but also that of other regional Aboriginal Artists” said Project Manager Lorrayne Riggs, “This project is the result of community consultation and identifying a real gap in the market for regional Aboriginal curators, it will promote long term cultural, social and economic outcomes”.

The emerging curators will use their new skill set in a practical way as they work towards presenting a group curated exhibition in 2019. The exhibition will be held at Weswal Gallery in Tamworth and will be a wonderful opportunity to begin building their portfolio of experience.

This project aims to engage and promote regional Aboriginal artists, arts and culture by introducing more Aboriginal people to curatorial positions in regional New South Wales. By doing so, long term collaborations and exciting exhibitions can be developed along with boosting audience development and innovative projects that possibly have not been considered before.