UKYA's Young Curator - Joe Rowley

Joe Rowley

UK Young Artists is delighted to welcome Joe Rowley to our team as a young Curator. This new year-long post will see Joe work on some really exciting projects, including the curation of our National Festival in Derby this year. Joe will also work together with a young curator from the Biennale of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean to develop a new project for an international festival in 2017 - a fantastic opportunity for intercultural dialogue and collaboration, and for creating art across borders.

 At UKYA, we are always seeking ways to put artists at the heart of what we do, to ensure we meet the needs of the community we serve. This is therefore an exciting opportunity for us to work with a talented young artist/curator and to diversify the way in which we engage with artists. 

Michelle Bowen, Director of UK Young Artists says,

I am delighted that Joe has joined the team. He demonstrates a strong passion as an artist curator, and we felt that we could offer Joe a really great experience which would develop his skills and allow him to grow as a curator. UKYA is keen to find ways for creatives to be involved and help shape and inform the work we do, and this is a great way in which we are able to demonstrate that.

Throughout his role, Joe will be mentored by UKYA's ambassador, Rosalind Davis. Rosalind is an artist, and Curator of Collyer Bristow Gallery, London and founder of Zeitgeist Art Projects. Rosalind will support Joe's curatorial development as he works towards the National Festival, and connect him with the wider visual arts network in the UK.

UK Young Artists feels that there is a lack of opportunities for young curators, producers and programmers to gain experience and develop their portfolios whilst testing and honing their style. We think that this role will prove useful and wonderful for Joe, and we will use it to shape future roles for young curators and producers at UKYA.

This is a particularly brilliant time for Joe, as he is beginning a Masters in Fine Art in Göteborg this September and will be splitting his time between the UK and Sweden! Joe spoke of his excitement at working with UKYA:

The curatorial development post with UK Young Artists is a great chance for me to really push myself as a young curator – a high profile, multi-venue arts festival is one of those things on the curatorial bucket list, and to be doing it so early in my career can only be positive in terms of my development. It’s also so exciting to be working with such a great team and a great group of artists. Roll on November!