From a young age, Lindsey Sharman has been fascinated by the ability of art to tell a person’s story. Today, that same fascination has lead to her new role as curator at the Art Gallery of Alberta, where she draws on her wealth of experience studying and curating art in Canada, England, Switzerland, and Austria. Meet Lindsey Sharman…
Which aspects of your global experience do you hope to bring to your position at the AGA?
There are so many ways to curate, and my studies in different countries have really shown me that there is no one way to do things. I hope to bring a certain openness—openness to different ways of working, and openness to different paths.
What is your favourite part about curating an exhibit and working with an artist?
I love getting to know an artist and their work and understanding their process of creating, from start to finish. I also love actually putting together the exhibition. It is like a puzzle, and you have all the pieces, and you know that it all fits together, but you don’t necessarily know how yet. It’s a process of discovery and following your intuition that I really enjoy.
How did your love of art develop?
I remember a middle-school teacher telling me what felt like the entire political and social history of Egypt through one image of Queen Nefertiti. I thought it was fascinating that you could be so visually literate to be able to understand people and their points of view through the art that they made.
What’s been your favourite art exhibit to visit, and why?
I love the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice because it shows how art is something to live with and have as a part of your everyday—it’s not just something that you go see on a rare occasion, but something that is an integral part of life.
—By Shawna Bannerman
