Curator Sarah Robayo Sheridan
Sarah Robayo Sheridan—currently director of exhibitions and publications at Mercer Union—has been appointed to the position of curator of exhibitions at the Power Plant.
But in an unusual turn, Robayo Sheridan is not due to officially begin her duties for some time—according to a Power Plant release, Robayo Sheridan is scheduled to begin her new position after December 2013.
The gallery says it will host guest curators this year before Robayo Sheridan officially takes the helm.
The Power Plant had been without someone in a senior art-curatorial role since the departure of Melanie O’Brian as curator of programs in spring 2012. O’Brian, now director/curator of the Simon Fraser University Gallery, had been in the position for less than two years.
The hire reflects a restructured organizational approach that came in at the Power Plant this year. In October, Kristine Bowen was hired in a new position: curator of education and public programs. The curator of exhibitions title had not been in use in the last few years either.
Since 2008 at Mercer Union, Robayo Sheridan has presented exhibitions including the commissioning of Aleksandra Mir’s The Seduction of Galileo, which travelled to the Whitney Museum of American Art; the anniversary presentation of Wall Drawing #349 by Sol LeWitt; and exhibitions of emerging Canadian artists including Annie MacDonell and Kara Uzelman.
“I am committed to fostering a greater public culture of arts appreciation in Canada, and I believe that the best route to achieve this is through bold and unapologetic programming. The Power Plant is an excellent platform for this pursuit. I am very eager to begin,” Robayo Sheridan said in a release.
Robayo Sheridan has also worked with the journal Public, the Toronto International Film Festival, Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art and Scotiabank Nuit Blanche. She holds a master’s in curatorial practice from the California College of the Arts as well as a BAH in art history / women’s studies and a BA in political studies from Queen’s University.
This article was corrected and updated on January 23. The original copy stated that Melanie O’Brian had been curator of exhibitions at the Power Plant, rather than curator of programs.
