Female Voices in Art: Alison Smith, Chief Curator, National Portrait Gallery, London
“During the time I have worked as a curator women seem to have dominated the profession. I would welcome curators from more diverse backgrounds and that would include men.”
Alison Smith (b. 1962, Brighton, Sussex, UK) holds a BA in the History of Art from Nottingham University and an MA and Ph.D from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, in the same field. She has been Chief Curator at the National Portrait Gallery since 2017. Before that she spent eighteen years at Tate Britain working as a curator of nineteenth-century British art. The exhibitions she curated and co-curated there included, Exposed: The Victorian Nude; Millais; Watercolour; Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde; Artist and Empire; Burne-Jones.
Could you tell us something about your role in the art world?
As Chief Curator I have overall responsibility for the running of the Curatorial and Collections teams at the NPG, including acquisitions, the care and display of the Collection and research.
What did you enjoy about being a part of this project?
It was nice to meet the other participants and I liked the way Carla got everyone involved.
Do you have a favourite artist?
I have worked on so many exhibition and display projects in my time that it is difficult to name a favourite artist. I have a soft spot for those artists who have been the focus of shows I have curated especially Millais and Burne-Jones.
What is your earliest memory involving art?
My earliest memory involving art was a reproduction of Vermeer’s The Milkmaid that hung on the kitchen wall in my parents’ home. The bread struck me as very hard and I was to curious to know what was going on outside.
Do you have any special thoughts about the position of women in the art world?
During
the time I have worked as a curator women seem to have dominated the
profession. I would welcome curators from more diverse backgrounds and that
would include men.
What are you wearing and holding, and are there stories behind it?
In the photograph I am wearing a 1960s Italian suit found in a vintage sale at Chelsea Old Town Hall. I gather it belonged to someone who took great care of her clothes and was pleased to hear it was bought by someone who was going to make good use of it.
What impact has the current health crisis on your daily practice?
At the moment I am working remotely and rather miss the human interaction.
Is it changing your views on Art?
Only in that less is perhaps more: we are surrounded by so much art, it’s refreshing just to focus on a few things at a time.
Are you creating new initiatives and ways of working?
I am thinking about new initiatives but will only be able to test them when we are through with this extraordinary situation we find ourselves in.
