STORY
In a county as visually progressive as Kent, that work really matters. This is a place where seaside towns, cathedral cities, estuary landscapes, former industrial edges and historic houses all carry different versions of the same creative energy. Curators connect international artists with coastal streets, historic collections with contemporary questions and local communities with the work being made around them. Often unseen, they are the hands shaping the county’ s creative personality- not simply displaying culture, but deciding how Kent sees itself.
In practice, the role of the curator is as precise as it is creative; they spend months, sometimes years, researching artists, negotiating loans, working through archives and shaping how work will sit in a space – what’ s placed beside it, what’ s left out and how much context is given or deliberately withheld. They are balancing scholarship with instinct, public access with critical rigour and increasingly, questions around representation, authorship and historical context. The end result may appear effortless- a room that simply‘ works’- but that clarity is the outcome of careful editing, considered judgement and a clear point of view.
Kent is blessed to have some of the UK’ s most innovative and knowledgeable curators working hard behind its artistic scenes- let’ s meet the faces behind the magic.
MELISSA BLANCHFLOWER, TURNER CONTEMPORARY, MARGATE As senior curator at Turner Contemporary, Melissa Blanchflower plays a central role in shaping one of Kent’ s most high-profile contemporary art programmes. Before joining the Margate gallery, she held curatorial positions at major international institutions including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, bringing global exhibition experience to the Kent coast. Her work at Turner Contemporary sits at the intersection of research, artist collaboration and public engagement, helping develop exhibitions that connect international contemporary practice with Margate’ s evolving cultural identity. It is a role that reflects how curating increasingly involves building conversations between place, audience and artists rather than simply presenting finished work.
EMMA LEWIS, TURNER CONTEMPORARY, MARGATE
Emma Lewis adds an international art and photography lens to Turner Contemporary’ s curatorial team. Before joining the Margate gallery, she worked as assistant curator, international art at the Tate Modern, contributing to major exhibitions across the programme. At Turner, she has curated and co-curated exhibitions including Ed Clark and Beatriz Milhazes’ Maresias, bringing a focus to artists whose work holds both formal strength and broader cultural context. Her presence reflects how Kent’ s institutions continue to draw curators with experience at the highest level while remaining attentive to local audiences..
SORCHA CAREY, FOLKESTONE TRIENNIAL, FOLKESTONE Curator of the 2025 edition of the Folkestone Triennial, How Lies The Land?, Sorcha Carey shaped a programme rooted in Folkestone’ s landscape, histories and public spaces, with newly commissioned works unfolding across the town rather than sitting behind gallery doors. Sorcha’ s background includes 10 years as director of Edinburgh Art Festival and her current role as director of collective in Edinburgh reflects her strong experience of outdoor exhibitions and public-facing contemporary art. In Folkestone, that translates into curating as civic encounter- art placed directly into the routes, views and questions of the town.
CARL FREEDMAN, CARL FREEDMAN GALLERY, MARGATE Carl Freedman’ s move to Margate brought with it a gallery grounded in contemporary practice and long-standing artist relationships. Founded in 2003 and now based in the town, Carl Freedman Gallery represents a focused roster of artists while contributing to Margate’ s wider cultural momentum. Freedman’ s earlier involvement in Freeze, the 1988 exhibition associated with the rise of the Young British Artists era, places him within a significant moment in British art history. In Margate, that experience translates into a programme that balances commercial clarity, curatorial intent and a long-term approach to working with artists, where representation is built over time rather than around individual exhibitions. www. insidekent. co. uk • 195