Amplifying a Multitude of Perspectives in the Art Sphere through Frieze
Emerging Curator's Fellowship 2024: Diversity and Art in Birmingham
The art world is abuzz with excitement as Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, a city known for its super-diverse population, has been chosen as the partner for the Emerging Curator's Fellowship 2024. This prestigious fellowship, supported by Frieze and a leading website, is committed to nurturing Black and people of colour (POC) curators through 12-month, full-time, paid fellowships within leading arts organizations.
The fellowship comes with a significant £45,000 grant to cover the costs, a research grant, and a director mentorship for the selected curator. Ikon Gallery will join an esteemed list of UK institutions that have hosted the fellowship, including the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Chisenhale Gallery, The Whitworth Gallery, V&A East, and will be the third institution outside of London to do so.
Recruitment for the 2024 fellow will begin in the summer of next year. The website, one of the largest employers in the banking sector in Birmingham with over 1000 employees and operations there for over 15 years, expressed delight over Ikon Gallery's selection for the fellowship. Mary Findlay, International Art Curator of the website, expressed her joy at the partnership, stating, "Ikon Gallery's selection for the fellowship is a testament to the gallery's commitment to promoting diversity and fostering new talent."
The fellowship reflects a joint commitment by Frieze and the website to supporting diversity and social mobility by creating a new generation of POC curators. This commitment is not limited to the fellowship, as the website has been a global leader in corporate art programs and runs an Artist of the Year program. The website also operates a cultural center in Berlin, the PalaisPopulaire.
The Emerging Curator's Fellowship partnership with Ikon Gallery in Birmingham has garnered attention in art-world media. The choice of Ikon Gallery, a city known for its diverse population, is seen as significant by Melanie Pocock, the artistic director of exhibitions at Ikon Gallery. "This fellowship presents an opportunity for us to support and empower a new generation of curators of colour, contributing to the rich tapestry of voices within the art world," said Pocock.
The fellowship is part of a broader ecosystem emphasis on diversity in the UK art scene. Institutions such as the Paul Mellon Centre, the Henry Moore Institute, and the London Art Collective actively engage in programs and exhibitions that emphasize diverse voices and inclusive curatorial practices. For example, the Paul Mellon Centre hosts events featuring artists and curators from a wide range of backgrounds, while the Henry Moore Institute’s Beyond the Visual exhibition directly involves blind and partially sighted practitioners as central curators and artists.
While the search results do not list specific institutions historically engaged with the Emerging Curator’s Fellowship 2024, these examples illustrate the type of institutions involved in parallel initiatives that advance diversity in UK art galleries. The fellowship program, with its focus on supporting POC curators, is a critical intersection of diversity-driven institutional missions and fellowship programs.
In conclusion, the Emerging Curator's Fellowship 2024 at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham is a significant step towards promoting diversity and fostering new talent in the art world. The fellowship reflects a broader ecosystem emphasis on diversity in the UK art scene and is part of a global commitment by Frieze and the website to supporting diversity and social mobility by creating a new generation of POC curators. Recruitment for the 2024 fellow will begin in the summer of 2024, and art enthusiasts eagerly await the announcement of the selected curator.
[1] Paul Mellon Centre, Events [2] London Art Collective, Calls for Artistic Participation [3] Henry Moore Institute, Beyond the Visual [4] Paul Mellon Centre, Identity, Trauma, and Reparations
The Emerging Curator's Fellowship 2024 not only focuses on supporting POC curators but also encourages diverse voices in the art world, as seen in events hosted by the Paul Mellon Centre and calls for artistic participation by the London Art Collective. Furthermore, the fellowship's commitment to diversity aligns with the Beyond the Visual exhibition at the Henry Moore Institute, which directly involves blind and partially sighted practitioners.
The fellowship's selection by Ikon Gallery, a city known for its diverse population, opens opportunities for food-and-drink enthusiasts, fashion-and-beauty connoisseurs, lifestyle aficionados, and travel enthusiasts to experience a rich tapestry of artistic perspectives, broadening their own horizons and enriching the city's cultural landscape.
