Charo Neville

 MA in Critical and Curatorial Studies, 2006

Charo Neville graduated with a Master of Art History degree in Critical Curatorial Studies from the UBC in 2006.

Since graduating, she has curated a number of projects including a solo exhibition of artworks by Ron Tran, Even Though We Are Not Together (Bestway Studios, Vancouver, BC, 2009); and co-curated Vancouver Art in the Sixties: Ruins in Process, an online research archive and educational resource that brings together still and moving images, ephemera, essays and interviews to explore the diverse artistic practices of Vancouver art in the 1960s and early 1970s (www.vancouverartinthesixties.com). Neville has also held positions at Catriona Jeffries Gallery (Vancouver, BC) as Associate Director from 2008-2010, at Artspeak (Vancouver, BC) as Interim Curator/Director in 2011, and is currently Curator at the Kamloops Art Gallery (Kamloops, BC).

With an interest in the Critical Curatorial Studies Program (CCST), Neville’s experience at UBC helped to prepare her for her professional career: “I gained a depth of knowledge in art theory and critical thinking, reading and writing. I also connected to the arts and academic community in a way that I wouldn’t have otherwise. My work experience as a student at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC as well as the Belkin Satellite Gallery was key to giving me a footing in my curatorial career.”

In her current position with the Kamloops Art Gallery (www.kag.bc.ca), Neville is responsible for planning a number of curatorial projects, which includes organizing touring exhibitions, writing exhibition texts, creating budgets, coordinating the installation of artworks, and working with other institutions. She is also writing an online essay for the City of Vancouver about an upcoming public art project by artist Cameron Kerr.

Neville’s advice for students entering the Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory is to “Get what you want out of the experience. Especially in terms of the CCST practicum, take the opportunity to produce a project that you really care about and take advantage of the luxury of time that you have to develop it.” She also advises students to “Make as many connections as possible while in school and continually build on those relationships to foster professional opportunities once you graduate.”