CHANGES TO THE GALLERY TEAM

After 31 years, Blair Todd is moving on from Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange.

Starting his career in contemporary art at Newlyn Art Gallery in 1993, first as a volunteer, then Shop Manager, Technician, Gallery Manager, Exhibitions Manager and from 2011, as Programme Curator/Deputy Director, he has delivered close to 250 exhibitions for the gallery, with well over 1,000 artists. Throughout, he has championed the importance of creating platforms for artists to be able to take risks and develop their practice, often through residencies that he devised, such as Transition, Three Points of Contact, Structures, and many live art events. He also curated major group exhibitions, including In Search of the Miraculous, Many & Beautiful Things, and more recently We Are Floating in Space.

In 2019, Blair was central to the gallery securing Arts Council Collection National Partnership funding, which enabled a key shift in programming to support groups in our community to develop, shape and deliver exhibitions that resonated with them.

However, over the past few years, the cost-of-living crisis has presented businesses across the country with major challenges, and the arts sector is not insulated from these difficulties.

As a Gallery, we have faced our own challenges and as a result have taken the difficult decision to restructure our team. This has led to the loss of the role of Deputy Director/Programme Curator. There will also be a small reduction in hours for the Director and part-time Deputy Director/Commercial & Operations roles. In addition, we will be delivering our café operations across both sites in different ways.

Whilst Blair is hatching plans for new adventures, the trustees, staff, and volunteers – and, we’re sure, the many artists, peers, and past colleagues he has worked alongside – thank him for his contribution to visual arts in the South West, his innovation, and longtime commitment to the gallery.

We share our very best wishes with Blair for the next phase of his career.