Joanna Drew and the Art of Exhibitions

by Caroline Hancock (Contributor)

This book celebrates the life and work of the English art gallery director and arts administrator Joanna Drew (1929–2003). Drew began her impressive career at the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1952 and during the next 40 years organized an extraordinarily diverse range of exhibitions―from prehistoric art to contemporary art and folk art. These include the sensational Picasso exhibition held at the Tate Gallery in 1960―the world’s first blockbuster show―and other landmark exhibitions at the Tate and at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Royal Academy, the ICA and elsewhere in London and the UK, on artists such as Matisse (1968) and Anthony Caro (1969), through Renoir (1985) and Leonardo da Vinci (1989) to Toulouse-Lautrec (1990) and Bridget Riley (1969 and 1992).

Genres: Art

224 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2019

About the author

Caroline Hancock is an independent curator and writer. She began her career in museums and galleries in Paris, London and Dublin, and between 2002 and 2008 was an exhibition organiser at the Hayward Gallery. In 2008 she was awarded a Joanna Drew Travel Bursary to research in Algeria.

Reviews

[Steven Willmott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get a preview copy of this wonderful book. Acknowledging up front that I know the author (and one may perceive some bias) I'd still say wholeheartedly that this is well worthwhile. The book documents the life of Joanna Drew who was one of the most influential characters in the UK art world after the World Wars.

The research is first rate and the personal portraits first rate. The narrative ties together the different periods of her life and gives a fascinating insight into the worlds of the Art Fund and London's galleries. Anyone interested in the art world should add this to their collection!