After 19 years at the helm of The Common Guild (TCG), founding director Katrina Brown will step down in 2026, as the organisation approaches its 20th anniversary. Under Brown’s leadership, TCG has produced one of the most respected programmes in the UK.
“When I started The Common Guild, my hope was simple but ambitious: to do something new and different with contemporary art in and for Glasgow. Envisaged as both public (common) and specialist (hence the ‘guild’) the intention was to bring artists and audiences together in diverse formats in a way that felt urgent, generous and exciting. Whether staging a newly commissioned film in a public park at twilight, or bringing an audience into a Victorian bathhouse for a synchronised-swimming event, the goal was always to open doors to new ideas, diverse voices and meaningful encounters between art and audience. We have made so many unforgettable experiences and I am hugely grateful to every single one of the artists who accepted the invitation to come and work with us, sometimes over a period of years. With a strong but still tiny team, a permanent home and secure funding in place, now is the ideal moment for me to pass on the baton. I have no fixed plan as yet for what might come next.”
Katrina Brown
Brown established The Common Guild in 2006 as a small, visual arts focused company, based in Glasgow but internationalist in outlook, that could work with artists in different formats. The combination of ‘Projects / Events / Exhibitions’ has been a distinctive feature since the outset, with Projects taking place in various locations, developed through working closely with artists. These have included an important strand of live work by visual artists: including Martin Creed and Rodney Graham (2007 and 2008 respectively), Simon Starling with Graham Eatough (2016), Janice Kerbel (2018), Basel Abbas & Ruanne Abou-Rahme (2022) and Lawrence Abu Hamdan (2024).
Exhibition-making has been a constant parallel to this work, staging shows by leading figures, from Roni Horn (2009) to Nicole Wermers and Tarik Kiswanson (both 2024). Exhibitions were initially presented in The Common Guild’s first home at 21 Woodlands Terrace, generously lent by artist and friend Douglas Gordon, and, more recently, in the former school building at 5 Florence Street, where Brown has worked closely with developers Urban Office and Assumption Studios as lead tenant and cultural partner on the re-use and development of the building.
Brown leaves The Common Guild in a strong position, having secured both a long-term, accessible home for the organisation and Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland, as it looks to its third decade.
A planned transition begins in December this year, when TCG’s Curator, Chloe Reith, who joined TCG in 2019, will step into the role of Interim Director to work closely with Katrina who will continue in a part-time capacity in the run up to her eventual departure in Spring 2026.
TCG Chair, Lucy Askew:
“Nearly two decades on, we’re extremely proud of the work Katrina and her team have done to help shape a confident, international vision for contemporary art in Scotland. Under her direction, The Common Guild has supported local and international artists at pivotal moments, fostered critical dialogue and created a culture of hospitality for artists and audiences. We’d like to thank Katrina for her dedication to building The Common Guild into what it is today and wish her the very best for whatever the future holds.”
The Board of Trustees will oversee the transition, including recruitment into a new staff structure. Further details will be announced in due course.
About TCG
The Common Guild is a visual arts organisation based in Glasgow, established in 2006, with a varied public programme of exhibitions, projects and events, based in a former school building on the south bank of the River Clyde. We are committed to presenting artists’ work in interesting and engaging ways and aim to create world-class contemporary art experiences and discussions.
With a focus on accessibility, equality, and supporting artists, it is a registered charity, supported by Creative Scotland and through a range of grants and donations. @thecommonguild
