Susan Johnson Mumford moved to London from the USA in 2000. Between 2001-2004 she worked in several commercial art galleries, acquired a Masters of Art in Arts Management at Birkbeck College, University of London, and acted as Curator for a group of aspiring London photographers. She gained incremental management skills as a key player on Whole Foods Market’s Retail Team between 2000-2004. Having started to operate as a private fine art dealer between December 2004 and March 2006, Johnson Mumford opened the doors to the Rooftop Gallery in April 2006, following a debut exhibition in St. James’s in March 2006 titled Art Is Why I Get Up in the Morning. This show was rated ‘No. 1 exhibition of the Week’ in the Times by celebrated art critic Rachel Campbell-Johnston. The gallery ran until the end of 2010.
In 2009 Johnson Mumford formed The Association of Women Art Dealers (AWAD). The aim of the organisation is to facilitate collaborations and business between fellow women art dealers, gallerists and art consultants in the UK.
In January 2011 she launched Susan Mumford Art Consultancy. She offers Art Collection Consultancy, in which she maintains and builds art collections for private and corporate clients. This service incorporates framing/presentation of art, restoration, up-to-date valuations, installation of collections, storage (including insurance) of art pieces, art acquisitions and disposals. Complimentary to Art Collection Consultancy, Mumford represents a select group of emerging artists who are primarily based in the UK. She promotes the artists’ work with exhibitions and events, commissions artists for bespoke pieces, places work into art collections, handles the acquisition of art by public institutions, and so on.
On 1st January 2012, Susan’s newest venture, The Be Smart About Art Academy, was launched. The motto is: “Art is your life. Make it your living.” The ultimate aim is to establish best practices for artists and art dealers/gallerists for the UK art world. A full programme of workshops and courses is now available – click here to find out more!
Be Smart About Art: Best practices in the art world, A fortnightly column by Susan Mumford for the Art, Antiques & Luxury Design Blog
Appointments to judge art prizes/awards:
Late Spring 2012: New prize at Chelsea College of Art & Design, University of the Arts London. Full details to be announced shortly;
February 2012: East Anglian Artists Development Prize at Anteros Art Foundation, Norwich, Norfolk.
Teaching / Guest speaker engagements:
July 2012: “An Introduction to the Art World” attRAct Summer Term at the Royal Academy of Arts, London;
December 2012: Investing in Art, American Women’s Club of London’s (AWC) Business Women’s Group;
University College London, Panel on making a career in the arts, 7th December 2011;
University College London, Panel on making a career in the arts, 17th March 2011;
Sotheby’s Institute, “Networking in the Art World”, Keynote Speaker with speech titled “A Woman’s Art World”, 13th October 2010;
Opening Speaker for the Hesketh Hubbard Drawing Society’s Annual Exhibition, Mall
Galleries, London, July 2009.
Keep up to date with Susan’s activities:
Follow Susan on Twitter.
View Susan’s Linked-In profile.
