Mollie (she/they) is a South-East based Independent Curator, whose exhibition-making, programming and research lives at the intersection of contemporary art, queer and feminist histories. She is dedicated to championing artists across all sectors. She is the Festival Manager and Artist Liaison for Tom of Finland Festival UK. Mollie has also been a Mentor with ilikenetworking since 2020. Mollie has leveraged her passion for access for artists through working with institutions to produce revolutionary artist residency programmes.
Her Curatorial practice has been praised internationally. Her work has been featured in Christie’s, Apollo Magazine, Art Normade, F Word Mag, Matrons & Mistresses, The Wick, Living Etc… Glass Magazine, The Courtauld and many more. In 2021 she curated and led programming for ‘YOLK!’, a digital showcase of the Taurisano Collection. Together, the 21 works explored the current ‘rediscovering’ of historically underrepresented artists to a global audience. In 2020, Mollie designed ‘The Fundamentals of Art Business’ with Christie’s Education for those without a traditional background, like herself. She has sat on various artist panels, most recently for LIVE ART X, as a judge for NFT 2022.
Artist Residencies
Curator, Clovermill Curated, Amsterdam
2022, Precious Opara and Ofunne Azinge.
2021, Cece Philips and Lily Kemp.
Founder, She CURAtes The Residency, Italy (Villa Lena)
2022, Precious Opara and Soumya Netrabile.
2023, Artist TBA.
Online Residency Facilitator, Mimosa House Artist Residency.
2020 - 2021 Reba Maybury, Oriana Fox among others.
Selected Talks and Events
Invited Speaker, Museum Next, Next Generation Summit, The Growing Role of the Artist Residency.
Invited Speaker, Warwick Women’s Summit 2022, The Journey to Arts and Curating.
Producer, Christie’s Education, The Fundamentals of Art Business.
Host, Frieze Week, In Conversation with Sougwen Chung and Georgia Powell.
Host, YOLK Exhibition, Establishing Women Artists.
Host, YOLK Exhibition, Collecting with a Purpose.
Host, Dulwich Picture Gallery & Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, In Conversation with Curator.
Host, Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Printing’s Past.
Invited Speaker, The Bowes Museum, Curator Talk.
Podcasts
Art on a Podcast (Art on a Postcard):
Charmaine Watkiss, Victoria Cantons, Philemona Williams, Emma Cousin, Erin Lawlor, Helen Downie, Olivia Sterling.
Academic:
Open University, 2017 – 2021
BA (Hons), 1:1 Class, English Literature
Central St Martins, 2020
Arts Management Online Course, 100%
Uplands Community College, 2008 - 2015
A Levels, ABB GCSE, 11A* 1A
Head Girl, 2014 - 2015
Exhibitions
2023
- Chasing Lights, Solo Exhibition,
Artist: Ofunne Azinge.
2022
- Greatest Source of my Longing, Group Exhibition, Barbara Thumm Gallery
Artists: Remi Ajani, Esiri Erheriene-Essi, Ofunne Azinge.
- Reclaiming the Nymph, A Force of Nature, Group Exhibition, Gillian Jason Gallery
Artists: Ofunne Azinge, Caroline Absher, Jasmine Pradissitto, Eleanor Johnson, among others.
- Impact Auction, Curated Auction, Artsy
Artists: Ayobola Kekere-Ekun, Caroline Absher among others.
2021
- YOLK!, Online Group Exhibition, Taurisano Collection and Artland
Artists: Dominique Fung, Zoe Blue M, Paige Jiyoung Moon, Amanda Ba, among others.
- Heart of the Matter, Group Exhibition, Gillian Jason Gallery
Artists: Sahara Longe, Tracey Emin, Cecily Brown, Bridget Riley, Emma Prempeh, among others.
- GET A LOAD OF THIS!, Group Exhibition, Daniel Raphael Gallery
Artists: Sahara Longe, Rebecca Morgan, Dodi King, Ariane Hughes, Lily Kemp, among others.
- UN/VEILED, Duo Exhibition, Brocket Gallery
Artists: Tanaka Mazivanhanga and Eleanor May Watson.
Selected Press:
Christie’s Education: Revitalising the Fundamentals of Art Business
Apollo Magazinge: What artists are really doing when they take up residencies.
A Burgeoning Force for Change: M&M
F Word Mag: Two Women Challenging the ‘Boys Club’ culture of the art world.
Glass Magazine: Equal to the Task
Living Etc… Kate Bryan’s Favourite Accounts
Mollie E. Barnes an art curator champion of womxn in the arts