Olivia Colling and Laura Smith have been appointed co-directors of The Hepworth Wakefield. Colling will serve as executive director and Smith will take the role of artistic director. They have both been acting as interim directors since the departure of Simon Wallis, who became secretary and chief executive of the Royal Academy, London, in September last year.
Born in Yorkshire, Olivia Colling joined The Hepworth Wakefield as director of communications and development in 2015. She was promoted to deputy director in 2022 and has been interim director and CEO since September.
Also born in Yorkshire, Laura Smith was previously curator at the Tate and Whitechapel Gallery. She joined The Hepworth Wakefield as director of collections and exhibitions in 2022 and has been interim artistic director since September. Smith has overseen the exhibition programme and presented major exhibitions by artists including Andrew Cranston, Igshaan Adams, Kira Freije and Helen Chadwick.
‘Olivia and Laura brilliantly complement each other’s strengths’, said Steva Langan, chair of The Hepworth Wakefield Trust, in a statement. ‘The selection committee were excited by their ideas for the future exhibition programme, which are dynamic while being grounded in art history, ensuring Wakefield residents, and wider Yorkshire audiences can experience the very best art on their doorstep, as well as attracting audiences from around the UK and overseas.’
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