AUCKLAND.- Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki announced the appointment of Sarah Farrar as Head of Curatorial and Exhibitions.

Farrar joins the Gallery after eight years in the curatorial team at Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, with the last six years as Senior Curator Art. She has previously held curatorial positions at City Gallery Wellington and is a graduate of the prestigious De Appel Curatorial Programme in the Netherlands. She has also recently submitted a PhD in Curatorial Practice at Monash University, Melbourne.

Farrar led major art projects at Te Papa including the curatorial development of Ngā Toi | Arts Te Papa and she was the lead curator for Toi Art. Her other exhibitions have included Warhol: Immortal and Meridian Lines: Contemporary Art from New Zealand. In addition to curatorial work, Farrar has been a member of Creative New Zealand’s NZ at Venice project team and Wellington City Council’s Public Art Panel, and contributed essays and articles to peer-reviewed journals, international art magazines and museum publications.

CEO of Regional Facilities Auckland and Auckland Art Gallery Acting Director Chris Brooks says: ‘Sarah comes to this role as a highly qualified and experienced museum curator and curatorial manager. She has a passion for, and commitment to, curatorship and has intentionally built her career to achieve this both nationally and internationally.’

‘I am confident that Sarah will be a strategic leader at the Gallery, bringing a wealth of knowledge, expertise and opportunities to the table. We are delighted to welcome her to the Gallery.’

Farrar says on her appointment: ‘I couldn’t be happier to be joining Auckland Art Gallery – an iconic institution with a world-class team – and look forward to leading the development of the collection and the presentation of exhibitions at the Gallery. I’m motivated by the role that galleries, such as this one, play in connecting art with people and the transformative experiences they offer to enrich our lives and strengthen communities.’

Farrar will commence work at the Gallery in December 2018.