the open west was established in 2007 as a not-for-profit organisation to provide the opportunity for UK and international artists to exhibit their work to a new audience in the South West. In a short space of time it has achieved a highly visible reputation for excellence and innovation.
curators/organisers
Lyn Cluer Coleman and Sarah Goodwin have extensive curatorial and arts management experience. They organise complex exhibitions, find intriguing work, curate challenging shows, create educational programmes and present the visual arts in its many forms to encourage new ideas, change perceptions and generate dialogue.
Lyn, a practising artist, curated Stroud House Gallery for ten years, establishing a national reputation for the gallery’s demanding exhibition programme. She introduced emerging and established artists into an imaginative and flexible arena as well as curating works into public spaces.
Sarah worked closely with Lyn at Stroud House, and on other curatorial projects. She has had experience in the world of the contemporary maker, trained and practised as a modern bookbinder and conservator, and established a gallery and information network for contemporary furniture makers and designers.
They joined forces in 2007 and combined their skills and knowledge to form a curatorial practice and established the open west as an independent platform.
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2013 guest selectors
Dr Justin Marshall
Justin Marshall is Associate Professor of Digital Craft at University College Falmouth. He is a practising maker and researcher who has been investigating the role and significance of digital design and production technologies in craft and designer maker practice for over ten years.
He exhibits and presents both nationally and internationally, recently including the Crafts Council’s Labcraft touring show 2010-12 and Fabrication Laboratory at the Design Museum, Barcelona 2010-11. Beyond his personal practice, his recent work has focused on the role of craft thinking and digital making within interdisciplinary design teams that are responding to broad social issues.
air.falmouth.ac.uk/research-groups/autonomatic
Emma Critchley
Emma Critchley is an artist who has worked with underwater photography and videography for ten years and recently graduated with an MA from the Royal College of Art. Through her practice, she explores the human relationship with the underwater environment.
Emma exhibited in TOW12 with two videos at Gloucester Cathedral and was chosen for one of the artists’ residencies. Her award winning work has been exhibited internationally, including exhibitions at The Australian Centre of Photography, Le Mois de la Photo, Canada, The Singapore Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery and the Photographers Gallery, London. She has worked on projects funded by the Photographers Gallery, the National Media Museum and the Arts Council. Her MA work was selected for the Saatchi New Sensations exhibition in 2011.
07594 354 791
07714 242 522
