Independant Curator | Writer | Cultural Advisor | Mentor
About
Tessa Jackson has worked nationally and internationally as a curator, artistic director and chief executive for a range of museums, galleries and not for profit cultural organisations, including:
Head of Visual Arts & Architecture, Glasgow 1990 – European Cultural Capital of Europe
Director, Arnolfini, Bristol during the 1990s
Director, Creative Scotland (formerly the Scottish Arts Council) at the turn of the century
Founding Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Artes Mundi, Wales, 2002 - 2010
Director, Iniva – Institute of International Visual Arts, London
Recent work
Since 2015 Tessa has worked independently as a curator, writer, cultural advisor and mentor. This has included organisations such as the ABF (formerly known as the Artists’ Benevolent Fund), British Council, Creative Scotland, Danielle Arnaud Gallery, Matts Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, the National Trust and the National Trust for Scotland, the RWA (Royal West of England Academy), Bristol and over the last 6 years with Contains Art and East Quay to realise its new galleries and building in Watchet, Somerset.
Exhibition: More Together Than Alone at Contains Art, East Quay, Watchet co-curated by Tessa Jackson and Neville Gabie with Neville Gabie, Suzanne Lacy, Deanna Payne and the people of Watchet, Somerset, Sept 2021 -Jan 2022. Image courtesy of Glyn Jarrett.
Internationally this has included working with visual arts organisations in East, South and West Africa and MCASA (Mongolia Contemporary Art Support Association).
Tessa works closely and supports a wide range of artists in the UK and internationally.
She is currently a trustee of Art Fund and Spike Island, Bristol.
In 2011 Tessa was awarded an OBE for services to art.
Exhibition: More Together Than Alone - Suzanne Lacy’s installation, The Circle and the Square, 2016 at East Quay, Watchet. Image courtesy of Glyn Jarrett.