The Curator’s Eye: Passion, Commitment and Relationships in the Art World with Zelda Cheatle
Zelda Cheatle is a curator, consultant and lecturer whose passion for photography remains undimmed despite more then 40 years in the industry. In 2024 she was named a ‘Woman of Influence’ by the Association of Photographers.
In this episode Zelda shares the mistakes people make when approaching galleries, what happens when museums run out of storage and describes the day she used a water pistol to secure a show, among many other things.
Zelda is part of the team behind the reinvention of PhotoMonth, a festival for all parts of London with an ‘E’ in the postcode, which runs throughout October.
‘Everyone needs to be aware of AI, but they don’t need to be scared of it. I don’t think creativity within photography is any more at threat than when they said, painting is dead and photography has taken over’– Zelda Cheatle
For Episode 11 of We Need to Make Things I chat with Zelda Cheatle @cheatlezelda about mistakes people make when approaching galleries, what happens when museums run out of storage and the day she used a water pistol to secure a show, among many other things.
Zelda has been a gallerist, publisher, lecturer and photography fund manager. Since 2012 she has been independently curating exhibitions and festivals both in the UK and overseas. Some of her recent projects include curating an RPS touring exhibition, installing a display of Lee Miller’s photographs in a museum made of mud and being part of the team behind the reinvention of PhotoMonth @photomonthlondon, a festival for all parts of London with an E in the postcode which runs throughout October. In 2024 she was named a ‘Woman of Influence’ by the Association of Photographers.
This episode is full of Zelda’s wonderful wisdom including:
👉 How to avoid common mistakes when approaching a gallery
👉 Why building genuine relationships is crucial in the art world
👉 What (and what not) to present at a portfolio review
👉 Why AI will never replace human beings that think and feel
Enjoy!
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