Iain Dawson
Curator, producer, cultural project leader
Twenty years delivering exhibitions, capital projects and national events across Australia's visual arts sector.
Executive Summary
Senior curator, producer and cultural project leader with 20+ years' experience delivering complex exhibitions, capital projects, national events and commercial campaigns across Australia's visual arts sector. Proven record leading projects from initial brief through to delivery — stakeholder engagement, program direction, operational documentation and reporting — for public institutions, national art fairs and commercial galleries.
Directed multi-city art fairs, Art Sydney, Art Melbourne and Art Brisbane, for Single Market Events in association with the Affordable Art Fair. As Director of the South East Centre for Contemporary Art, led a decade-long exhibition and events program while delivering a $3.5M capital redevelopment and institutional rebrand, increasing visitation more than 30% year-on-year through strategic programming and stakeholder engagement.
Currently based in the Northern Rivers/Gold Coast, building an independent curatorial and production consulting practice, and open to curatorial, production and project delivery roles across the cultural and events sectors.
Core Capabilities
End-to-End Exhibition & Event Production
Capital Project Delivery & Design Brief Development
Stakeholder & Community Engagement
Curatorial Direction & Exhibition Programming
Budgeting, Forecasting & Reporting
People Leadership & Team Management
CRM & Database Management
Sponsorship & Partnership Coordination
Director — Iain Dawson Gallery, Sydney, NSW
2008 – 2013
Delivered 20+ exhibitions and associated events annually, managing logistics, client liaison, VIP previews and public openings.
Built and maintained collector relationships, driving repeat sales and long-term engagement.
Coordinated participation in national art fairs, overseeing installation schedules and contractor liaison.
Director — ART Sydney / ART Melbourne / ART Brisbane
2007 – 2008
Directed Art Sydney, Art Melbourne and Art Brisbane, three annual multi-city art fairs delivered in association with the Affordable Art Fair (London/New York).
Managed exhibitor recruitment (40+ per fair), sponsorship agreements and venue coordination.
Prepared exhibitor manuals, operational documents and floor plans; coordinated bump-in/bump-out logistics.
Delivered post-event reporting, reconciliations and financial forecasts to executive stakeholders.
Gallery Manager — Commercial Sector, Sydney, NSW
2000 – 2007
Managed daily operations, sales, marketing and event coordination for leading contemporary galleries.
Coordinated art fair participation and major exhibition launches.
Assistant Curator — Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney, NSW
1999 – 2000
Supported exhibition planning and delivery, catalogue production and public program coordination.
Independent Consultant — Identity Cultural Projects, Gold Coast/Northern Rivers
2024 – Present
Providing project-based curatorial direction, exhibition and event production, and capital project consulting on a scoped, invoiced basis.
Director — South East Centre for Contemporary Art, Bega Valley, NSW
2014 – 2024
Managed all aspects of exhibitions and public events from planning through to execution, to a professional standard across a decade-long program.
Prepared detailed operational briefs, run sheets and event documentation for technical, front-of-house, marketing and contractor teams.
Conducted stakeholder meetings, site inspections and walkthroughs to confirm requirements and align expectations.
Contributed to annual budget preparation and financial reporting within a local government governance framework.
Secured sustained funding growth and strengthened sponsor and partner relationships through consistent service delivery.
Led and mentored a team of five staff and 40+ volunteers, embedding structured service protocols.
Directed the SECCA capital redevelopment and rebrand ($3.5M), delivered with Sibling Architecture and Bega Valley Shire Council — steering the project through the insolvency of the head building contractor to open in November 2023 with the Archibald Prize regional tour.
Originated the Motel Art Fair, Art Month Sapphire Coast and Parklight festivals, and The Shirl National Youth Portrait Prize ($10,000) — Australia's only national youth portrait prize.
Authored Bega Valley Shire Council's Arts & Culture Policy, SECCA's five-year strategic plans (2016, 2024), acquisition and public art policies, and a sustainability action plan.
Led the development and delivery of the Regional Arts NSW 2023 annual conference, producing talks, launches, formal dinners and artist and performance events across bespoke hire, civic, performance and large-format exhibition and conference venues.
Professional Experience
Professional Recognition & Education
Museums & Galleries NSW International Fellowship (2018) — Museum MACAN, Jakarta
IMAGinE Awards, Museums & Galleries NSW — three-time winner: Flora Australis (2016), Young & Free: An Australian Discourse (2017), South/East Interference Vol.2 (2019)
Highly Commended, NSW Local Government Excellence Awards (2017) — Excellence in Creative Communities, for The Shirl National Youth Portrait Prize
Peer Assessor — Create NSW (2019–2021); Regional Arts NSW (2015–2020)
Bachelor of Fine Arts — Canberra School of Art, Australian National University
Postgraduate Studies (incomplete) — Master of Museum Studies, University of Sydney
Additional Information
Full Australian working rights; willing to undertake probity checks.
Adobe Creative Suite power user (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator); advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Strong skills in website building and maintenance (Squarespace and comparable CMS platforms).
Working knowledge of contemporary collection management databases, including Vernon CMS and eHive.
Experienced with CRM and database systems; fast adopter of event and production management platforms.