If you’ve ever had the privilege of stepping into an art gallery or museum, we reckon that the first thing you’ll notice is just how lovely the pieces look hanging up on the walls or put upon perfectly placed plinths. It’s all thanks to the hard (and unseen) work of the spiffy curators who help to bring a gallery to life.

Take Platform Presents’ Jess Dang and Unassigned Gallery’s Nour Abdullatif for example. They dedicate their time to sprucing up their creative spaces in order to showcase the lovely creations of a wide range of talented arty folk – although there’s more work behind the scenes than the bulk of us are aware of. Jess and Nour were nice enough to let us in on everything they do in their days as curators, and how they manage to breathe life into the exhibitions they run.

IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTION Exhibitions only really need two things in order to successfully push an event to the finish line: art to look at, and people coming in to look at said art. It’s not surprising that most folks love to cast their peepers onto pieces that they especially feel connected to, and it doesn’t hurt to make each artist feel appreciated either – which is something always on the forefront of Jess and Nour’s minds. “Unassigned Gallery is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where people from all walks of life can feel comfortable and safe to engage with art,” says Nour. “When you're starting out in curating exhibitions, opening a gallery or organising workshops, establishing connections within the creative community is so, so valuable.”

“Here at Platform Presents, we believe that the best way to support each other as artists is as a collective,” Jess says. “These exhibitions are therefore focused on curating a space where artists can support artists, people can support artists and people can support people.”

DO THE HUSTLE We’ve already gabbed about side hustles heaps already, but they really do come in handy – especially when you want to get in on the curator biz. Platform Presents and Unassigned Gallery are side gigs for both Jess and Nour, which also helped them spruce up some new business and life skills. “Running the gallery alongside my full-time job has been challenging yet incredibly rewarding,” says Nour. “It's taught me valuable lessons about time management, the importance of self-care, and the necessity of seeking support from others when things get overwhelming.”

Jess currently works full-time as a shutterbug, but reckons that she’ll be a very happy gal when Platform Presents gets to take centre stage. “While I love photography, I love curating more, simply because there is an element of connection that photography does not provide for me. It’ll be a dream come true when Platform becomes a full-time role.”

SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW It’s not exactly a big secret that looking back at our own lives, interests and experiences is super-duper helpful for finding inspiration for creative pursuits. Jess always makes sure to look inward when coming up with new exhibition themes. “My everyday life is filled with film, galleries, music and beautiful quality time with those I love,” she says. “I tend to find inspiration in the magnitude of feelings that come from these events.”

“For example, the theme for our last exhibition – In A Distant Memory – was inspired by the visuals I saw for Porter Robinson’s song ‘Trying to Feel Alive’ at his recent show in Melbourne. Our next exhibition later in the year is inspired by a painting I fell in love with at Brunswick St Gallery by Amber Nuttall.” 

DIVERSIFY WHAT YOU’VE GOT ON OFFER Art galleries are neat and we don’t think we would ever get bored of walking around a space and spying some lovely creations, but we reckon we’d stay a bit longer if we knew there were some more goodies to check out. Unassigned Gallery, for example, isn’t just a rad gallery space – it also offers comedy shows, cabaret performances, workshops, poetry nights, music gigs and movie screenings. “From the start, my vision for the gallery has always extended beyond just having an exhibition space; I've aimed for it to be a vibrant ‘third space’ where people can gather, connect and experience a variety of experiences,” Nour explains.

“To broaden the gallery's offerings, we've ventured into diverse events that resonate with different parts of our communities. Having the privilege to run this gallery is deeply meaningful to me, and I am committed to sharing it with the community in ways that are both impactful and educational.”

GET CREATIVE WITH ADMIN No matter where we are, admin will always be there waiting for us in the form of emails, spreadsheets and phone calls. There’s practically no job on Earth that doesn’t require admin duties – as Jess and Nour will tell you – but that’s not to say there aren’t ways to make it a tad easier. “My day-to-day consists of lots of coffee, communication via email and video calls, graphic designing, video creation (reels and ads), note-taking and planning,” Jess says. “One of the most transformative tools I’ve adopted as a curator is Notion, which I use as an organised diary for note-taking, collecting inspiration and managing deadlines. I’ve saved so much time and energy with Notion as I no longer have to re-plan the flow of my exhibition for every new event.”

Nour, on the other hand, uses social media. “A typical day at the gallery often revolves around admin, which, let's face it, can sometimes feel mundane and repetitive. To bring some creativity and community spirit into this necessary evil, I came up with the not so unique idea of ‘Admin Mondays’ at the gallery,” says Nour. “Every Monday, I use Instagram to invite people to join me at the gallery. It's an open invitation for anyone to bring their admin or whatever work they need to get done. Together, we create a supportive and productive atmosphere where we can tackle our tasks while enjoying each other's company.”

FINAL NOTES In short, being a gallery curator is all about getting to that sweet spot where your creative side can merge seamlessly with your business-y side. Next time you happen to go to an art show (or want to try your luck at being a curator yourself), keep Jess and Nour’s spiffy words in mind, as well as these two lasting pearls of wisdom:

“Observe the technical details when attending other exhibitions and galleries. I tend to learn a lot within these spaces just by looking at the array of ways different artists present their works,” Jess explains. “Connect with other curators and ask to shadow or be involved in any way to learn from them.”

“Your community – your fellow curators, galleries, and creative peers – is one of the best resources you have when you're entering the world of curating,” says Nour. “Whether it's tips on planning exhibitions, managing artists, or understanding the art market, learning from others who've been through it is a great place to start.”

Check out Unassigned Gallery and Platform Presents for more info on rad exhibitions and more, if you fancy. 

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