GLASGOW.- Katrina Brown, Director of the Common Guild, is to be the Director of the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Visual Arts in 2010 and 2012 it was announced today, 13 May 2008. Glasgow-born Brown has almost 20 years of experience as a curator including significant roles both at Tate Liverpool and Dundee Contemporary Arts, where her programme made the city an internationally acclaimed centre for the visual arts. Brown’s longstanding relationship with Glasgow’s visual arts community dates back to 1991 when she joined the Committee at Transmission and includes a spell at Tramway, working with Charles Esche (now Director of the Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven). Brown was also Visual Arts Projects Curator of the first, Radiance Lighting Festival. In 2006 Katrina Brown established the Common Guild, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to producing a dynamic, international programme of contemporary visual art projects, exhibitions, and events. Hugely respected in the visual arts world, Brown has brought her expertise to a range of other professional appointments including Venice Biennial Advisory Committee (British Council) 2008-09; Comité technique d’Achat (purchase committee), FRAC des Pays de la Loire, 2005 – 2008; Board of Governors, Glasgow School of Art, 2004; Selector, Beck’s Futures, 2004; Selector, Jerwood Artists Platform, 2003. For full CV see Notes for Editors.

Katrina Brown was selected from a very strong short list,” said Mark O’Neill, Chair of the Steering Group for the Gi Festival. “She has the vision, organizational experience and international network needed to take Gi to the next stage of development. Building on the solid foundations created by Francis McKee, who led the first three festivals, the stage is set for Gi to become one of the world’s leading international art festivals, and, by reaching an ever wider local audience, to become embedded in the life of the city.”

This is a truly exciting and important opportunity,” says Brown. “The next festival, taking place in 2010, will be 20 years on from Glasgow’s reign as European Capital of Culture and a significant moment both to reflect on our achievements in the visual arts and to look at what more we can do. Gi allows for a unique celebration of the visual arts in the city through a two-way mirror, reflecting what is happening in the city while allowing us to look outward to the rest of the world, bringing to the city something of the global context in which so many of our artists continue to thrive I look forward to building on this year’s successes and to working with the fantastic backdrop of the city of Glasgow and its particular places and spaces, from the derelict or disused to the gorgeously grand..”

The Scottish Arts Council is delighted that Katrina Brown has been appointed as the Director of Glasgow International (2010 and 2012,”) says Amanda Catto, Head of Visual Arts “Katrina brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role, and we look forward to working with her and the rest of the GI team as they build on the significant achievements of the Festival to date. GI is a nationally and internationally significant event for the visual arts in Scotland, harnessing the energy and commitment of artists and arts organisations in the city, and as a key partner we are pleased to confirm Scottish Arts Council flexible funding for the Festival until 2011.”