With the imminent publication of The Art Life’s Power Trip 2015 we present – as a delicious old-school entree to the main course – our new annual list of people in the art world just outside the top 50…
Tony Albert – this year’s been a goodie for the artist and all-round nice guy. Albert’s headed for further stardom in 2015 with the unveiling of his public sculpture in Hyde Park to honour the war contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Mariam Arcilla – curator, writer, artist, event maker, fashion guru, selfie Queen and inventor of her own unique brand of English, Arcilla is to Brisbane what… no, wait… do Sydney and Melbourne have anyone who compares?
Glenn Barkley – unshackled from the pains and tribulations of full time employment, Barkley’s turn as director of Art Month 2015 is only his most high profile current gig, with a few more [secret] gigs on the backburner…
Amy Barrett-Lennard – consistently showing great stuff from east, west and beyond, Barrett-Lennard’s Directorship of Perth Institute of Contemporary Art has taken it from strength to strength.
Nicholas Chambers – recently appointed to the new position of curator of modern and contemporary international art at the Art Gallery of NSW, Chambers returns to Australia from his tenure as Milton Fine Curator of Art at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
Emily Cormack – prolific writer and curator at Melbourne’s Gertrude Contemporary, Cormack is one to watch.
Peter Drew – along with his collaborators Ronnie Chin and Frazer Dempsey, Peter Drew [artist/writer] is the front man for the ‘internet sensation’ Art vs. Reality a web series that takes the hammer to art, the art world and its pop-critical pretensions. Drew has the suit and tie of the professional on-screen art guy down to a tee but he’s got another thing coming if he thinks he can make a career on regular TV – or can he?
Nicholas Forrest – the hardest working reporter in the art world, Forrest’s Blouin/Art Info gig takes him around Australia while he shapes the industry’s international profile.
Rebecca Gallo – the hardworking slashie and multiply skilled artist/writer/editor/arts worker, Gallo is also the editor of RAVEN, the website/mobile app that’s giving the more established what’s on art mags a run for their money with comprehensive listings and editorial coverage.
Sebastian Goldspink – with the commanding voice of trained ac-tor Goldspink’s gig as director of Alaska Projects [the first Sydney ARI with a true international presence] combines with gigs as a roving curator with Artbank and creative producer Art Month, to make him a key behind-the-scenes influence.
The Hon Tony Grant MP – the dark horse this year is NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts (amongst other things), Troy Grant. In case you missed it, the NSW Government recently made two major arts funding announcements. The first entails a $3.9million investment in the “arts economy” which will support 70 arts and culture organisations across the State. Add to that his October promise of $50K of Government funds to support curatorial projects at four regional NSW galleries means Grant probably deserves a place at the barrier – and a pat on the back.
Simon Gregg – we loved his book, New Romantics, but it’s this curator’s knack for creating refreshing shows that’s kept Gippsland Regional Gallery at the top of its game.
CJ Hendry – CJ’s crowd-pleasing illustrations may not be your thing but 150K Instagram followers and this week’s sold out Sydney exhibition (her debut) of over 80 works surely mean this TEDx talking tennis-ready Queenslander must be doing something right. Right?
Melissa Loughnan – in the Top 50 when at Utopian Slumps, Loughnan has recently returned with a vengeance as inaugural Director of Anna Schwartz Sydney and Melbourne Galleries.
Isobel Parker Philip – having just scored a permanent gig as an assistant curator at the AGNSW alongside a superlative list of independently curated shows and publications – not to mention her contributions to TAL – put Philip on any ‘names to watch’ list.
Stella Rosa McDonald – occasional TAL contributor, poet, writer and visual artist SRMcD is a maker and shaker on the rise.
Dylan Rainforth – with the readership of art mags seriously on the wane Rainforth, at the helm of Art Guide, has managed the move to social media better than most. Thirty thousand Likers on Facebook and a large Twitter following for its quality bunch of writers, mean Art Guide continually punches above its weight.
Alex Seton – the ‘Ben Quilty of Australian sculpture’, Seton not only receives decent media attention, he also makes great art.
Olivier Varenne – alongside Nicole Durling, Varenne is David Walsh’s right hand man and buyer of international art at Tasmania’s MONA. He’s also co curator of Matthew Barney’s River of Fundament.
Pip Wallis – Wallis’ name is everywhere right now – up and coming curator and writer, she’s also the latest Editor of Un Magazine for 2015.
