Appointments: Edward Ball and Ruth Jarman

We are thrilled to welcome Edward Ball as our new Chair, taking over the role from Fiona Venables. Brighton-based artist Ruth Jarman also joins the Steering Group.  

Edward is Director of Devonshire Collective in Eastbourne. Responding to his appointment, he said: 

It’s an honour to join CVAN South East as Chair, working with our Steering Group to build connections and community in our visual arts ecosystem, and to advocate for our sector’s vital civic and economic contributions. We want to raise awareness of what CVAN South East can do for artists, freelancers and organisations alike – fostering collaboration, strengthening networks and sharing best practice – and to support a greater diversity of voices and perspectives in collaboratively shaping our next chapter.   

We are also excited to announce that Ruth Jarman, one half of artist duo Semiconductor, will be joining us on the Steering Group, filling one of the artist positions.

About Edward Ball 

Edward is a curator and writer, and currently Director of Devonshire Collective, a cultural and community organisation in Eastbourne. He leads a collaborative team in a programme that pursues a model of artist-led learning and grassroots inclusion. DC commissions cultural projects from emerging, underrepresented artists living regionally and nationally, while working with communities, in community spaces.

Prior to joining DC as Director in 2021, Edward Ball was the inaugural Artist Development Curator (2018-2021) for Freelands Foundation’s flagship Artist Programme, supporting the artistic and personal development of a group of 20 emerging artists around the UK over 3 years, as well as four partner organisations: g39, Cardiff; Talbot Rice, Edinburgh; Site Gallery, Sheffield; PS², Belfast. Previously, he was Exhibitions Curator at Camden Art Centre (2017), and Director and Curator of White Rainbow (2015-2017), where he commissioned first-UK solo exhibitions by Chikako Yamashiro, Meiro Koizumi, and Tomie Ohtake, among others. His writing has appeared in frieze, Art Monthly, ArtReview, ArtReview Asia, Apollo and Elephant, among others, and he has written catalogue essays on artists including Yuko Mohri, Grace Ndiritu and Nicholas Hatfull.

About Ruth Jarman

For over 25 years, UK artist duo Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, aka Semiconductor, have explored the human experience at the intersection between science and technology. Their innovative works confront us with the seemingly unknowable ephemerality of the natural world around us, contextualising scientific data into captivating sculpture, moving image and drawings that encourage us to expand our perceptions of reality and question our role as observers.

For over 25 years, UK artist duo Ruth Jarman and Joe Gerhardt, aka Semiconductor, have explored the human experience at the intersection between science and technology. Their innovative works confront us with the seemingly unknowable ephemerality of the natural world around us, contextualising scientific data into captivating sculpture, moving image and drawings that encourage us to expand our perceptions of reality and question our role as observers.

Image: Courtesy of the artist and Audemars Piguet