A New Zealand-born photography aficionado, who has worked for top Sydney cultural institutions, has been put in charge of Albury's art gallery.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Blair French has been appointed chief executive of MAMA and will start in the role on January 16.
A change from a council to a company governance structure is the reason for Mr French having the title chief executive.
His most recent post has been chief executive of Carriageworks, a multi-arts hub in the former Eveleigh railway complex in Sydney.
Mr French, who has also worked for the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Artspace in the Harbour City, said the MAMA role had great appeal.
"It's always been an organisation I've been really aware of and coming out of Carriageworks I was interested in working in an art museum model," Mr French said.
"I'm looking forward to moving beyond Sydney, where I've been working for a long time and MAMA has a good program with artists and its audiences."
Mr French cited his experience with the independent governance model adopted by MAMA as a strength and is keen to build ties with other galleries, including in his native New Zealand.
He grew up in the North Island city of Hamilton before moving to Christchurch for university to study art history and English.
Becoming a student newspaper art critic stirred Mr French's interest in the cultural field, with a particular passion for photography.
"I'm not an artist at all, I never went to art school," he said.
"I guess my interest has been through art history and writing about art.
"I did a PhD at Sydney University and that was on Australian photography and I've done a lot of writing and curated shows on photography."
Pursuing that qualification brought Mr French to Australia in 1995.
MAMA Ltd chair Janet Osborne described Mr French as a "highly accomplished arts leader", adding "we are really excited to have him".
"Blair brings with him a wealth of knowledge, skills and understanding about leading a modern arts organisation and the museum will benefit greatly from his vision and understanding," Ms Osborne said.
Albury Council chief executive Frank Zaknich said he was pleased with the appointment.
"Albury City is confident that Blair will be a great asset for the museum, and for the region more broadly," Mr Zaknich said.
Former MAMA exhibitions co-ordinator and art photographer Jules Boag was also complimentary.
"He's a very accomplished individual, I think it's a good appointment," Mr Boag said.
