August 8th 2023.
On October 4th, 2023, Mary Evans will become the first Black director of London's Slade School of Fine Art. An artist of Nigerian descent, Mary has spent the last five years leading the undergraduate programme at Chelsea College of Arts. Her paper silhouette art, which is inspired by her African heritage and the Black diaspora, has been showcased in renowned exhibitions such as the Baltimore Museum of Art in 2008.
Mary's appointment follows Kieren Reed's tenure, which began in 2018, and has been met with much anticipation. Her appointment was preceded by a series of student protests which highlighted systemic racism and a lack of studio space during the Covid-19 pandemic. In response to this, students created the movement #sladeoccupied to demonstrate against the underrepresentation of non-white students and staff.
The independent investigation conducted by Nous in 2022 found that “genuine and meaningful change is needed to create a school in which everyone feels respected and valued”. Their report also highlighted that recruitment panels were not sufficiently diverse and processes were inconsistently applied.
Mary expressed her gratitude for the opportunity in a statement, saying “It will be a privilege to work in an environment that offers a transformative education to emerging artists where students and staff can express themselves and take risks in an increasingly equitable environment at this important moment when diverse knowledges are relevant and necessary.”
Stella Bruzzi, the executive dean of University College London’s arts and humanities department, which Slade is organised under, has welcomed Mary's appointment. She said that Mary’s directorship of the Slade will “support both the faculty and wider UCL in our world-leading and interdisciplinary arts and humanities disciplines”. Bruzzi's ability to create change within the institution has been questioned in the past, however she will be working closely with Mary as part of the faculty leadership team.
Mary's current solo display at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, titled GILT, has been met with much acclaim. Now, the world awaits to see what she will bring to the Slade School of Fine Art.
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