Rosie Cooper has been appointed the new director of Wysing Arts Centre in rural Cambridgeshire. The curator is currently head of exhibitions at the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea.
The ten acre site is known for its residency programme, as well as hosting exhibitions and events including conferences, symposia, workshops and music events. A new director has been sought since the death of Donna Lynas in January this year. Lynas had been the centre’s director for fifteen years.
Previous shows curated by Cooper include Still I Rise: Feminisms, Gender, Resistance Acts 1-3 (alongside Irene Aristizábal and Cédric Fauq), which toured the De La Warr, Nottingham Contemporary and Arnolfini, Bristol; How Chicago! Imagists 1960s & 70s (with Sarah McCrory) touring the De La Warr and Goldsmiths CCA and solo exhibitions including Zadie Xa, Hayv Kahraman, Renee So and Mikhail Karikis.
For four years until 2016 she was head of programmes at Liverpool Biennial, and prior to that she was curator of public programmes at Barbican Art Gallery in London.
Cooper said: ‘I see Wysing as a beacon for the freewheeling, radical imagination: an environment that empowers artists, communities and publics to re-make the world. Wysing is an exceptional organisation known for its generosity, integrity and inclusivity – qualities we need more than ever.’
