Trustees

Miranda has been Chair of our Board of Trustees since April 2017. Her career has spanned roles in both the private sector, working for the world’s largest marketing communications company, Omnicom, and the public sector, specifically Culture, in Cornwall. Currently she is Head of Development for an international advertising network called PHD.

She is a strong advocate of the importance of the visual arts in Cornwall, given its long history in the county, and its record of positive impact on the community both economically and socially. For her, the fact that Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange is one of just two visual arts NPOs in Cornwall means that it has a lot of responsibility not only for its own fortune but that of the sector in Cornwall. She believes it is crucial for the huge numbers of visual artists resident in Cornwall, as well as local audiences to have access to the international standard work shown at both our venues.

Hannah has a deep interest in visual arts and the power creativity has in building community and connection. She is particularly interested in celebrating LGBTQ+ art and history, and shifting the industry toward a more diverse, inclusive and caring space.

Graduating in 2019 with a BA (hons) in Fashion, she has continued her practice through creating clothing and accessories from vintage and second-hand materials; often working in collaboration with other creatives.  Currently based in Portsmouth, Hannah has been a volunteer at Aspex Gallery supporting them with events, front of house and archiving, as well as working as a PONToon Project Assistant to curate a digital exhibition.

Most recently, Hannah has been working as a Research and Development Assistant for Artswork, Southampton Cultural Education Partnership and Southampton Music Hub, with a focus on the inclusion of youth voice.

Hannah joined the board in Nov 2021.

Joe is an arts programme producer with a profound interest for cultural projects that target inclusivity, art history, and sustainability. He currently works as Public Programmes & Partnerships Officer for the National Trust. Based in Sussex, he aspires to promote an intersectional approach to all arts projects and seeks to champion regional and international artists and creatives.

Previously, Joe has worked for cultural venues including Sotheby’s London, Eden Project, Intercom Trust, the Penzance School of Art, and Tate St Ives. He also holds a Distinction in MLitt Museum & Gallery Studies from the University of St Andrews, where he studied exhibition curation theory and collections management.

Joe joined the Board in Nov 2021.

Alex joined the Board in November 2024 as Treasurer. With a background in finance and risk management, she is dedicated to supporting the Gallery to achieve its strategic objectives while ensuring financial stability and longevity. For the past decade, Alex has worked as a risk consultant and project manager at WTW, a global advisory, broking, and solutions company.

Originally from Constanța (Romania), Alex has also lived in Florence and Bologna (Italy) and London before falling in love with the beauty of the Cornish peninsula, which she now calls home.

When not working or caring for her two children, Alex enjoys nature walks, open-water swimming, and other restorative practices. Her latest project involves studying postpartum physiology and psychology to support women through the postpartum period.

Rachel is a producer and educator. She runs arts programmes with and for children, young people and their communities, spanning development, delivery, through to evaluation. The focus of her work to date has been working with rural communities in Mid Wales. Through her work with Peak Cymru, she has worked with partners including Canal & River Trust, Art Night, Transport for Wales and The Brecon Beacons National Park. Projects explore themes of rural futures, racial justice, sustainable tourism, bi/multi-lingualism, culture, and identity.

In 2019, she was chosen as a lead invigilator for Wales in Venice/Cymru yn Fenis for Sean Edwards’ solo show at the Venice Biennale, and she was an area group representative for Engage. More recently, she has been freelancing and supporting organisations through fundraising, digital programming, and strategic work with young people. Rachel is currently based in London.

As a trained painter, she has seen first-hand the transformational impact of the arts on children and young people – a vessel for wellbeing, thinking, questioning, reimagining, dreaming, making change, and realising potential. She looks forward to supporting this work with Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, and is delighted to be joining a board for the first time.

Rachel joined the board in Nov 2021.

Jane is a communications consultant specialising in arts and culture, with more than 18 years of experience. She has worked closely with artists and creative organisations, including long-term senior roles at Spike Island, Bristol, and Site Gallery, Sheffield, before transitioning to a freelance consultancy. Her work focuses on amplifying the stories behind artists’ work, prioritising the highest quality communications and accessibility for all, to engage audiences both locally and internationally. Notable projects include Turner Prize-winning exhibitions by Lubaina Himid CBE and Veronica Ryan OBE.

Jane leads complex and impactful projects to help organisations achieve their business goals, including website development, CRM databases, PR campaigns, and branding initiatives.

She joined the Board in November 2024.

Ashish is the founder and director of Radical Ecology, an artist, and curator whose recent projects include Can You Tell the Time of a Running River? (Dartmoor: A Radical Landscape, RAMM, 2024), Where Do We Go When We Realise That We Can’t Go Back to Nature? (with Iman Datoo and Tsitsi Chirikure, 2024), and Invasion Ecology (Invasion Ecology, Southcombe Barn, 2024).

His public programming highlights include Survival is a Promise: A Celebration (The Green Table, Dartington, and The Box, 2024) and Migrant Futurism (Southbank Centre, 2023).

Ashish’s creative practice focuses on decolonisation and environmental justice through land-based research, with a particular emphasis on South-West England. He is Lead Governor for EDI at Exeter College, an Associate Non-Executive Director at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, a member of Devon County Council’s Climate Task Force, and co-chair of UCL’s Black Atlantic Innovation Network.

Ashish joined the Board in November 2024.

Gina is Exhibitions Curator at Camden Art Centre, London, where she has curated solo shows with Nicola L. (2024); Jack O’Brien (2024); Lonnie Holley (2024); Tamara Henderson (2023); Olga Balema (2021); Adam Farah (2021); Athanasios Argianas (2020); Wong Ping (2019); Yuko Mohri (2018); Joachim Koester (2017); Bonnie Camplin (2016); Rose English (2016) and João Maria Gusmão & Pedro Paiva (2015) among others.

She has organised exhibitions on a number of important 20th-century artists including Martin Wong, Grace Pailthorpe and Reuben Mednikoff, Dieter Roth, and Eva Hesse. A research sabbatical in 2017, which included a residency on the on the Helsinki International Curatorial Programme, Finland, and field research in South America, led to a series of exhibitions inspired by the sacred geometries (kené), music and botanical knowledge of the Yawanawá, Shipibo Conibo, and Huni Kuin (Kaxinawá) peoples, indigenous to the Amazon rainforest. These include The Botanical Mind: Art, Mysticism and The Cosmic Tree (2020–21) at Camden Art Centre, London, co-curated with Martin Clark; Gäa: Holistic Science and Wisdom Tradition at Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, Cornwall; and Origin Story at The Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art, Turku, Finland (both 2019).

Gina was a curatorial resident on the Art Initiative Tokyo programme (2014–2015) and curated At the Still Point of the Turning World at Shibaura House in Tokyo (2015). She writes widely on contemporary art and artists and edited Camden Art Centre’s publications from 2010 to 2024. She holds an MA in Art History (20^th Century) from Goldsmiths College, University of London (2004) and was previously Director at Alison Jacques Gallery.

Gina joined the board in Nov 2021.

Olga is a textile artist and lawyer, based in Cornwall. She is deeply passionate about visual arts and the role of cultural institutions in promoting collaboration and dialogue across local communities and the wider world.

Olga leads a contemporary weaving studio called Texture Tapestries and also works as a freelance legal consultant. She has over a decade of experience as a lawyer, specialising in international arbitration and public international law, with a particular focus on business and human rights. She is also a trustee of the Rainforest Foundation UK.

Olga joined the Board in November 2024.

Otti is a digital marketer, social media trainer and coach based in Cornwall, where she/they were born and grew up. Otti has worked mostly in the professional services sector but has also volunteered for various arts and literature festivals in Cornwall, including Penzance.

Creating safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ communities and minority groups is of keen interest to Otti, which is one of the reasons she/they decided to join our Board. Otti’s qualifications include a BA in Film and an MA in Professional Writing.

On the side of work and freelancing, a novel is in progress.

Otti joined the board in Nov 2021.

Neil is our Vice-Chair and Secretary. He is deeply interested in the visual arts, particularly within West Cornwall where he also chairs the Tate St Ives Members Committee and sits on the Tate St Ives Advisory Council. He is also Chair of the Trustees at St Ives School of Painting.

He strongly believes that art is the best language to explore and articulate our place in the world, more so now than ever, and hopes that his involvement with Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange can help others find the language to tell their own stories.

His career spanned nearly thirty years in retail management and a dozen years developing and managing Business Improvement Districts in Reading and Truro. Neil lives in St Ives with his family and is an active explorer of the landscapes, coast paths and the ocean. He writes, collects things, makes stuff and believes in magic.

Neil joined the Board in early 2017.

Julia is Creative Director and CEO at PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications in West Cornwall, where she has been leading the organisation since 2018. Under her guidance, the museum has undergone significant transformation, including becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and developing an award-winning programme.

In 2023, Julia played a pivotal role in establishing mc7, a consortium of seven museums in Cornwall funded by Arts Council England. She represents the consortium on the National Museum Directors’ Council.

Previously, Julia was Artistic Director and CEO at Rothesay Pavilion CIO, driving the redevelopment of this iconic Scottish building. As Director of the Leach Pottery, St Ives (2008–15), she relaunched the site as a museum and working studio, creating a sustainable business model blending commerce and education. Earlier, she was Centre Director at the Acorn Theatre, Penzance, leading a Lottery-funded renovation.

Julia holds an MRes in International Heritage Management and Consultancy from the University of Exeter and was a Clore Leadership Fellow (2004–05). She was made a Bard of Gorsedh Kernow in 2024 for her contributions to Cornwall’s cultural heritage.

Julia joined the Board in November 2024.

Nigel has been passionate about West Penwith and its art for more than 30 years and the work of Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange in particular. He worked in the information technology industry, building a networking business from inception to becoming a national company before disposal to form part of a multinational business. With business interests in the area as well as continuing interest in digital communications, Nigel has a local and national perspective. He believes the work of the gallery connects disparate local communities and reflects the attitude and challenges of different groups, projecting them to a national audience.

Nigel is interested in music, discovering the local landscape, and is a surfer.

Nigel joined the board in Nov 2021.