Birch, Jesse
Item
Maker Name
Birch, Jesse
Marks
Biography
Nanaimo born, Jesse Birch, has been the exciting ‘new’ curator at the Nanaimo Art Gallery since 2014, binging about fresh perspectives and interests.
Jesse was Co-Director/Curator of Access Gallery in Vancouver from 2008 to 2010, and 2009 to 2013, Birch taught at Emily Carr University in the Critical and Cultural Studies faculty. He was Exhibitions Curator at Western Front 2012-14. He has served on the Board of the Or Gallery (Vancouver) and was active with the Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres. Birch has published in numerous exhibition catalogs and art magazines including C Magazine, Yishu, and fillip. In 2013, he received the Art Writing Award from Ontario Association of Art Galleries for his essay on artist Kika Thorne for the Art Gallery of Windsor. Birch also serves on the Board of Directors of the Tozan Cultural Society which stewards a five chamber noborigama kiln and a wood-fired train kiln in Cedar BC.
With his love of pottery, Jesse has been instrumental in increasing interest in ceramics regionally, he has curated or facilitated several ceramic exhibitions at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, including the 2016 Trusses which featured Wayne Ngan, Gailan Ngan, and ceramic work by Alex Morrison, among other artist’s works, 2017 Dream Islands (co-curated with Emma Metcalfe Hurst) which set the work of late Saltspring Island potter Lari Robson in dialogue with a diverse group of contemporary artists, 2018 'Earthlings' , organized by Shary Boyle in collaboration with Shauna Thompson, and the 2021 exhibition ‘We Do Not Live Alone’, which had three components; the Archive, the Study, and the Library, and drew upon Nanaimo Art Gallery’s own ceramic collection, pots from the Tozan Society, and featured new artists.
NAG has become one of the few provincial institutions welcoming ceramics into their Permanent Collections, Dianne Carr’s collection being a significant addition.
Jesse has also become a practicing potter, and took part in the very popular 2021 exhibition ‘Imperfect Offerings’ along with Naoko Fukumaru, and Glenn Lewis at the Richmond Art Gallery. For Imperfect Offerings, Jesse gifted a teapot and cups to Richmond Art Gallery.
Jesse was Co-Director/Curator of Access Gallery in Vancouver from 2008 to 2010, and 2009 to 2013, Birch taught at Emily Carr University in the Critical and Cultural Studies faculty. He was Exhibitions Curator at Western Front 2012-14. He has served on the Board of the Or Gallery (Vancouver) and was active with the Pacific Association of Artist-Run Centres. Birch has published in numerous exhibition catalogs and art magazines including C Magazine, Yishu, and fillip. In 2013, he received the Art Writing Award from Ontario Association of Art Galleries for his essay on artist Kika Thorne for the Art Gallery of Windsor. Birch also serves on the Board of Directors of the Tozan Cultural Society which stewards a five chamber noborigama kiln and a wood-fired train kiln in Cedar BC.
With his love of pottery, Jesse has been instrumental in increasing interest in ceramics regionally, he has curated or facilitated several ceramic exhibitions at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, including the 2016 Trusses which featured Wayne Ngan, Gailan Ngan, and ceramic work by Alex Morrison, among other artist’s works, 2017 Dream Islands (co-curated with Emma Metcalfe Hurst) which set the work of late Saltspring Island potter Lari Robson in dialogue with a diverse group of contemporary artists, 2018 'Earthlings' , organized by Shary Boyle in collaboration with Shauna Thompson, and the 2021 exhibition ‘We Do Not Live Alone’, which had three components; the Archive, the Study, and the Library, and drew upon Nanaimo Art Gallery’s own ceramic collection, pots from the Tozan Society, and featured new artists.
NAG has become one of the few provincial institutions welcoming ceramics into their Permanent Collections, Dianne Carr’s collection being a significant addition.
Jesse has also become a practicing potter, and took part in the very popular 2021 exhibition ‘Imperfect Offerings’ along with Naoko Fukumaru, and Glenn Lewis at the Richmond Art Gallery. For Imperfect Offerings, Jesse gifted a teapot and cups to Richmond Art Gallery.
First name
Jesse
Last name
Birch
Formal Education
Major Exhibitions
2021 'Imperfect Offerings' Richmond Art Gallery, with Glenn Lewis and Naoko Fukumaru.
2021 We Do Not Work Alone. Nanaimo Art Gallery
Links to Further Resources
https://nanaimoartgallery.ca/staff/birch-jesse/
2021 https://nanaimoartgallery.ca/exhibition/we-do-not-work-alone/
2021 https://www.gillianmcmillan.com/blog/2021/08/17/we-do-not-work-alone-nanaimo-art-gallery/
2013 Art Writing Award, Ontario Association of Art Galleries
https://momus.ca/author/jesse-birch/
Publications by Jesse;
2014 Black Diamond Dust
2020 The Mill (Sternberg Press)
2014 Black Diamond Dust
2020 The Mill (Sternberg Press)
https://momus.ca/chance-elements-on-wayne-ngan-1937-2020/
Source
Debra Sloan