Aimee Frodsham is taking on a new role (while keeping an old one). Photo: Canberra Glassworks.
One of Canberra’s most loved art studios and galleries has passed into a familiar pair of hands.
The Canberra Glassworks has appointed Aimie Frodsham to a new combined role of CEO and artistic director.
With a career now spanning more than 25 years, she joined Canberra Glassworks in 2018 as Artistic Director.
“I think that the business is in such a good position at the moment because previous CEOs have laid the foundations really well,” she told Region.
“Now the board feels that we’re able to put someone with more of an art focus into that leadership role.
“For me, that’s really exciting.”
The Canberra-born artist studied her craft at the Australian National University before heading overseas where her career included 12 years at the Victoria and Albert Museum and Tate in London.
Ms Frodsham wants her tenure to be known for environmental sustainability, a focus on working with artists as they develop their creative works and developing other large-scale projects.
She says it is “100 per cent important” that gallery and studio leaders work with their artists.
“My way of working is always really artist-led. I really enjoy working with individual artists and being able to deliver what they need in their way, in their voice … We always try and tailor everything we do to the individual’s needs.”
She said this approach – such as in helping artists “upscale” their work by providing teams of people to work with them or putting them in touch with new artistic techniques – can have a huge impact on their work.
“We can be really, really flexible. We understand the pressure artists face today regarding income and how they work.
“It’s just different from a normal business, and often they’ll have second jobs so they can afford to survive in this world.”
Ms Frodsham is also keen to advance Canberra Glassworks’ sustainability efforts, including a recycled-glass production program.
“There’s so much glass already on the face of the earth. … Glass is such a magical material in that it’s infinitely recyclable.”
The facility is well known among Canberra (and Australian) creatives. Photo: Canberra Glassworks.
During her tenure as artistic director, Ms Frodsham has curated and produced numerous exhibitions featuring acclaimed artists, including Maree Clarke, Cobi Cockburn, and Annette Blair.
She says her passion is to ensure Canberra’s artists are elevated and recognised to their full potential.
“I love working with the really skilled artists here. I also love the collaborations with people here, the commissions that we’ve been working on in the last maybe five years.”
She also collaborated on major projects with Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre, Patricia Piccinini, Tony Albert, Lucy Simpson, Alex Seton, and Elliat Rich.
Ms Frodsham says her appointment “means the world”.
“The amount of love and support I’ve received – in terms of messages from the art world – has been really inspiring.”
“I just feel like the luckiest person alive to be able to be doing this every day, to work with this incredible team of people who are so dedicated and so very, very skilled in this craft.”
She says the newly combined roles will take the studio and gallery into a new era while preserving their historical connections to the craft.
Canberra Glassworks is located at 11 Wentworth Ave, Kingston. It is open 10 am to 4 pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
