Jason Smith, the current director of Geelong Gallery, has been appointed the new director of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

Smith has over 25 years of experience, having previously served as curatorial manager of Australian art at Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art.

He was also the director and CEO of Heide Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne for five years to 2014, director of Monash Gallery of Art for a year to 2008, and curator of contemporary art at the National Gallery of Victoria from 1997 to 2007.

Smith will relocate to Adelaide and begin the new role in February. He said he looked forward to “continuing to develop the audiences, partnerships, and commercial enterprises that will underpin AGSA’s necessary ongoing growth and contemporary relevance”.

You might like

Just In

Safety warning after South Korea martial law push

Just In

State’s credit rating at risk for first time in 15 years

“I have been a visitor to, and professionally involved with the Art Gallery of South Australia since 1996, and I am honoured to have been entrusted with the role of director,” Smith said.

“The principle that has guided my leadership is to ensure an accessible and inclusive experience of art that enriches peoples’ lives.

“I regard it as a particular privilege to be asked to lead the ongoing development of one of the nation’s most acclaimed art collections, and to oversee the scholarship and innovations of AGSA’s thought-provoking exhibitions program.”

Chair of the gallery Sandy Verschoor said the board was “extremely pleased” about the appointment.

“The Art Gallery Board, working alongside the South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet, conducted an extensive search for AGSA’s next director,” Verschoor said.

“At both Heide Museum of Modern Art and Geelong Gallery, Jason was instrumental in delivering strong leadership with a creative, entrepreneurial approach that has cemented these institutions as cultural destinations.”

Smith is replacing previous director Rhana Devenport, who was the first woman in the role when she took it over in 2018.

When Devenport’s departure was announced in March, the gallery noted four million people had visited it during her tenure, making AGSA one of the top 100 most visited galleries in the world.