Sam Thorne to step down as Director of Nottingham Contemporary
It is with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that Nottingham Contemporary announces that its Director, Sam Thorne, will be departing in October to take on the role of Director General & CEO at Japan House London.
Since joining the organisation in 2016, Sam has built on Nottingham Contemporary’s reputation for innovative exhibitions, learning and research programmes. His passion for international dialogue, experimental approaches and cultural education has brought recognition and acclaim, including being nominated for Art Fund Museum of the Year. During his tenure, the programme has spanned more than 30 exhibitions, including: solo shows by Meriem Bennani, Denzil Forrester, Marguerite Humeau, Allison Katz and Erika Verzutti; ambitious new commissions by Elizabeth Price, Lara Favaretto and Wu Tsang; an artist-curated show by Linder; wide-ranging thematic exhibitions about legacies of the Bauhaus and the politics of listening, as well as our current show, Hollow Earth, exploring subterranean imaginaries. Sam’s time at Nottingham Contemporary will also be notable for strengthening the institution’s commitment to education, further embedding it in the heart of our programme, as seen in our recent Lina Bo Bardi project with Assemble.
The commitment and care that Sam has given over the past six and a half years will leave a lasting impression here at Nottingham Contemporary. His vision will continue to shape the organisation, our programmes, and the local cultural community in Nottingham. We would like to take this moment to thank Sam and wish him all the very best for his exciting new role.
Nottingham Contemporary is now recruiting for a new Director, with the support of its retained recruitment partner Saxton Bampfylde. Details of the vacancy can be found here.