Curator, editor and writer, Mariama Attah joins Castlefield Gallery’s Board of Directors and Trustees

Castlefield Gallery is an essential part of the Northern art scene: a gallery and an organisation that has for over 35 years supported the careers of artists living and working in the North. 

Although closed to the public during all three lockdowns, the organisation has worked throughout with artists and participants, and has continued to grow and develop – and as part of that development is delighted to announce a key recruitment to its board of Directors and Trustees: Mariama Attah. 

Mariama Attah is Curator at Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery, a well respected curator, writer and editor who has worked in arts development nationally and internationally over the past 15 years.

Prior to her role at Open Eye Gallery, she has worked at Foam Magazine (Amsterdam), Photoworks (Brighton), inIVA (London), Compton Verney (Warwickshire), and Arts Council England. 

This will be Attah’s first position on a Board of Directors and Trustees. She will be joining  Margaret Bourke, Ceri Hand, Kate Jesson (Vice-Chair), Alisha Kadri, Beth Knowles, Barney Leaf, Chara Lewis, Penny Macbeth, Adrian Slatcher, Roger Stephenson OBE and Susie Stubbs (Chair) as they respond to the COVID-19 crisis and in particular the way it has had an impact on practicing artists.

Mariama Attah, said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Castlefield Gallery board. The gallery is impressive in its drive to inspire artists, artistic practice and talent. I am looking forward to being able to join the rest of the board in supporting and advising on this.”  

Helen Wewiora, Director / Artistic of Castlefield Gallery said: “I, and the Castlefield Gallery team warmly welcome Mariama to our board. We have been undertaking focused work on the development of our Board or Trustees and Directors since 2018. In 2020 we announced our female led organisation status. We first got to know Mariama last year when she was a guest selector for the Castlefield Gallery Associate Members’ Exhibitions. Mariama selected a proposal from the Cumbrian based artist Jocelyn McGregor. From this process we quickly learnt of Mariama’s insightful and sensitive approach to working with artists. From our experience of working with Mariama it is overwhelmingly clear she will make a considerable contribution to our artist facing mission.”   

Susie Stubbs, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Castlefield Gallery, said: “While the past year has been a truly difficult time, the team at Castlefield Gallery has stepped up – finding new ways to work, and continuing in our mission to support artists, participants and audiences. It has also been a period of reflection and change for the organisation – including further developing our board. I am so pleased that Mariama is going to help guide and shape Castlefield Gallery: she’s a thoughtful, strategic thinker who understands the local, national and international context of our work. We are all very much looking forward to working with her over the coming years.”