In this series, Creative Access is focusing on the amazing jobs happening behind-the-scenes in the creative industries to hopefully inspire you to think about some roles and career paths that you might not have heard about before!

Former Creative Access intern Kaler Wong tells us all about his career journey from curatorial and artist administrator at White Cube to gallery assistant at East London-based contemporary gallery, Kate MacGarry…

I work as a Gallery Assistant at Kate MacGarry, a contemporary art gallery in East London. We put on six exhibitions a year and support the artists we work with in external shows, commissions and lots of different projects.  

I work as a Gallery Assistant at Kate MacGarry, a contemporary art gallery in East London. We put on six exhibitions a year and support the artists we work with in external shows, commissions and lots of different projects.  

We’re a very small team of six so the job is really varied and involves things like assisting with exhibitions and art fairs, administration, marketing, front of house, organising events and even condition checking works of art (below: check out Kaler and colleagues checking some prints, and take the time to appreciate ‘our beautiful bookshelves which took a whole day to arrange’). I’ve done everything from shopping for purple hydrangeas for an artist’s work to model-making miniature booths for art fairs. 

Spending time learning about an artist’s practice and then having the chance to meet them and work with them on an exhibition. We work with 21 contemporary artists (and two artist estates) who work with all sorts of media and are inspired by so many different things. I’ve learnt about ornithology, carpentry, prehistoric archaeology and Malawian history to name a few areas. I enjoy hearing artists speak about their own work and what they are trying to achieve. As an artist myself, I really enjoy seeing the development of the ideas of others, as they form something physical and concrete, and overseeing the whole exhibition process.  

I also enjoy talking to guests about art as we get a lot of different people who visit the gallery. We often have groups of students from art schools who visit with varying levels of enthusiasm (occasionally students look bored out of their mind but thankfully they’re an exception). It’s good public speaking practice and ensures I’m knowledgeable and on message on the show itself. (See image of Kaler below giving a talk to a group from Kingston School of Art). We usually have the artist give a short talk to staff about the show before the opening which is invaluable for more personal insights and interesting details. 

I got into this role after a year-long traineeship at White Cube gallery, an opportunity I got through Creative Access. Honestly, I really didn’t think I would get the role, after having applied and then been rejected for a number of similar junior positions at other galleries. That was a really great experience in learning how the gallery system works and opening my eyes to the number of different roles and people that come together to put on an exhibition and support artists. 

White Cube is a mega-gallery which represents some renowned international artists, so I tried to make the most of the learning opportunities. I was lucky to have a really helpful manager as well as an amazing mentor who made me feel well supported and comfortable asking stupid questions. It also taught me a lot about how to work with people and the importance of communication, from observing how my colleagues dealt with different pressures, to dealing with demanding or temperamental artists (which I saw a fair amount of). 

Previously to that I did an undergrad degree in history and a master’s in art history. The art industry in general is really overqualified – I didn’t need the master’s degree to do the job, but I probably needed it to secure the role. I had previously volunteered at a couple of arts organisations and have always enjoyed making my own art @kqhuangart – which also gave me marketing skills.  

Something that has really helped in my roles so far has been making an effort to see exhibitions and writing about what I’ve seen. When I moved to London for my master’s degree, I was visiting at least three exhibitions a week (admittedly quite easy in London, it may be harder elsewhere). The more you see, the more you can contextualise things and learn what you like. Being able to speak coherently about an exhibition I’ve seen or about artists I like has been very useful in interviews and more generally. It’s easy to be discouraged when things are not going your way and you’re applying for jobs and not getting anything back. But, if you’re passionate about art, don’t stop attending exhibitions and reading about them.

Looking to enter the museum and gallery sector? Find opportunities here!

We were proud to host a Masterclass with our very own April Brown chairing a conversation with curator and Director of The Chisenhale Gallery, Dr Zoé Whitley. Both April and Zoé have extensive experience in the arts and shared their insights into breaking into the industry. They emphasised the importance of staying authentic to yourself, discussed their passion of making art accessible to a diverse audience and explained what it means to be a curator.

April Brown is a former Creative Access intern, turned Creative Access member of staff. She started her career at LIFT Festival as an Assistant Producer 7 years ago and since then she has continued working in arts and youth engagement at organisations including Somerset House and Tate. She has over 10 years’ experience in developing cultural programmes for young and diverse audiences and now works as Programmes Coordinator at Creative Access.

Dr Zoé Whitley is a curator – and Board member at Creative Access – who started as an intern at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She is director of the Chisenhale Gallery in East London; a charity which both commissions art and works to develop projects and relationships with the local community. Zoé has a distinguished background in the arts, having worked in curatorial roles at the V&A, the Hayward Gallery and Tate. She has curated notable exhibitions such as the ground-breaking Soul of a Nation at Tate and the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

April and Zoé both spoke about not seeing themselves in museum and gallery spaces; not being sure that they ‘belonged’. Despite having worked at the V&A for years, Zoé only had the confidence to apply for a curator role at the Tate because it was part-time: “Whatever I thought of as a curator at Tate, I didn’t think it could be me.” Similarly, April stated how she had to do many years of unpaid work whilst trying to break through and was ‘overjoyed’ to be placed by Creative Access at LIFT. She explained that she felt the same as Zoé when she began to work at Tate:

Despite this lack of self-belief at the beginning of her career, Zoé stressed the importance of finding a supportive network that can be trusted to give constructive criticism. When April questioned how Zoé progressed into these leadership roles, she explained that as a Black woman in the arts, having experienced the inter-section of sexism and racism, she never aspired to be leading those institutions. Yet, it got to the point where artists specifically wanted to work with her.

Zoé’s definition of what it means to be a curator goes back to the root of the word: to care. Ultimately, she said, it’s about channelling knowledge into something people can access. She continued that it’s about wanting to be a conduit so that the artwork connects to the audience in the right way

Both Zoé and April wanted to emphasise how their roles facilitated a connection between the audience and the art, explaining that the reason why an exhibition exists is because you want to connect with the audience. Zoé spoke of her desire to make the artist feel happy. She works to prioritise their needs and respect the context of their art. This inclusive approach paid off particularly in the exhibition Soul of a Nation at Tate. “We did right by every artist in the show”, she said, and importantly through this, it connected with the audience.

April and Zoé then discussed what makes a good leader. Zoé made it clear that:

She then stressed the importance of staying authentic to yourself whilst in a role at a big organisation and the value of holding onto your emotional and intellectual curiosity. Zoé emphasised that young people wanting to get into curation should recognise their own power: “I don’t want anyone to talk themselves out of it”.

When questioned on their tips for breaking into the industry, Zoé drew attention to the need to harness your interests and to enhance your skills outside ‘work’, such as starting a zine or an Instagram page, or writing about your interests. Zoé explained that there wasn’t a job she spoke about that she got the first-time round. Likewise, April stated it was her DIY work that was crucial in securing her paid roles in the sector. With this understanding, April recommended recognising the requirements of the role, such as that of a curator, and working out ways to gain those skills without actually being a curator. Zoé encouraged the audience:

Both speakers brought to the fore the importance of self-belief and urged people to recognise that they can be there, even if they don’t see themselves in museum and gallery spaces. Their strong message is: don’t be disheartened by rejection, keep finding innovative ways to put yourself out there and develop your passion.

A huge thanks to Zoé for her inspiring and wise words and to April for being a fabulous masterclass host.

You can watch the session in full here.