Gertrude Contemporary is pleased to announce the appointment of two new roles. Mark Feary will take on the role of Artistic Director, while Christine Tipton will take on the role of Director – Business and Operations. The appointment of these two new roles coincides with the departure of Gertrude’s current Director, Emma Crimmings.
For the last thirty years, Gertrude Contemporary has been instrumental in supporting artists within Australia, and has built a worldwide reputation as an influential centre for experimental contemporary art. As we prepare for our upcoming move to a new location, these new roles will be at the heart of our continued position as a highly regarded and integral part of the Australian arts community.
Director Emma Crimmings, who will be leaving to take up the role of Assistant Director at Artbank in Melbourne, has played a significant role in the progress of the institution’s history. Emma’s vast experience across artistic disciplines, alongside her fundraising abilities working with the Board of Management, have helped to re-invigorate the organisation’s structural and financial stability, building towards a creatively ambitious and sustainable future. During her time as Director, Emma delivered innovative partnerships such as Gertrude Glasshouse, garnered a Churchill Fellowship in order to focus on best practice in artist residency programs and expanded the scope of the organisation’s artistic program to encompass a range of disciplines. In relation to her departure, Emma states: “I feel very confident leaving at this time, with the knowledge that Gertrude is in a much stronger position to deal with future opportunities, due to the achievements of the last two and a half years.”
Mark Feary brings to the role of Artistic Director a wealth of experience in curating, having worked within the visual art sector for fifteen years in a range of contemporary art centres, universities, museums and artist-led initiatives with an emphasis on contemporary art. He joins us following his position as Curator of Exhibitions and Australian Projects at the Australian Centre for Photography, after many years of curating at institutions such as Artspace, the CCP and West Space, as well as maintaining an independent curatorial practice.
With his dynamic breadth of experience throughout art institutions, Mark will be well placed to develop exciting new programs and exhibitions for Gertrude Contemporary, reinforcing our history of fostering emerging artists and experimental art. In response to his appointment, Mark said: “I am very excited to be joining Gertrude Contemporary at this important stage for the organisation at it embarks on a new trajectory. Gertrude is the creative engine room of the visual arts in Australia, its alumni of exhibitors and studio artists is remarkable in its scope and critical contribution to culture and discourse across the past three decades. This significant history is the vital foundation upon which the organisation has been built, but its fundamental asset is not the past; rather what it is yet to contribute to the future of contemporary art and thinking in Melbourne, Australia and in our expanded region.”
Christine Tipton joins Gertrude Contemporary as a strategic business manager with focused experience in the arts and cultural sector. Her commitment to the arts and cultural sector led to her work as Business and Grants Manager in the Collections, Research and Exhibitions Division at Museum Victoria where she led the Division’s financial management, the development of a successful external funding and collaborative partnerships program, and the delivery of key strategic projects. Prior to this, she worked as a Strategy and Operations Management Consultant for Deloitte, supporting client organisations across a range of industries to make strategic, financially robust business decisions and to grow their business models.
With the combination of this experience, Christine will be instrumental in maintaining the ambition and development of Gertrude’s continuing role and high regard. She said of her appointment: “This is a pivotal moment in Gertrude Contemporary’s history. In working to transition the organisation to an exciting new home and to build a strong financial future, I am looking forward to supporting Gertrude Contemporary to play its incredible role in nurturing Australia’s artists for generations to come.”