New curator appointed at gallery

EMILY Wakeling has been appointed the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s new curator.

Ms Wakeling joined the gallery in January after relocating from Rockhampton Museum of Art, where she was the curator.

She has worked at Artspace Mackay, Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art, University of Queensland Art Museum, and Boxcopy, an artist-run initiative.

“Ballarat has one of the most important art collections in Australia, and I appreciate this city’s balance between a deep investment in its heritage as well as its living cultural scene,” Ms Wakeling said.

“The Art Gallery of Ballarat is at a pivotal moment.

“Following the building upgrades, I look forward to the gallery reopening with an exciting collection rehang and exhibition program.”

Ms Wakeling specialises in Asia-Pacific art and lived in Japan for several years, working as a lecturer in Tokyo and as editor of English-language website Tokyo Art Beat.

Her recent curatorial projects include exhibitions with Australian artists Richard Bell, D Harding and Jasmine Togo-Brisby.

The Art Gallery of Ballarat is closed for upgrades, and Ms Wakeling will initially curate the Backspace program and plan the 2026 exhibition schedule.

Art Gallery of Ballarat director Louise Tegart said Ms Wakeling will work closely with Jacqueline Doughty, the assistant director, curatorial.

“Emily is an accomplished curator with extensive experience in developing diverse and immersive shows,” Ms Tegart said.

“We look forward to seeing Emily utilise our extensive collection of more than 11,500 works in upcoming exhibitions.

“We are confident that she will establish innovative and compelling ways to engage our audiences and draw new visitors.”