Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jonathan Crowther is a highly experienced arts and culture professional and a passionate advocate for social inclusion and diversity. Currently serving as the Acting Cultural Collections Coordinator at the City of Whittlesea and previously Curator and Collections Manager at The Dax Centre, a gallery dedicated to promoting mental health education and reducing stigma through art. Prior to this, Jonathan was the Art Coordinator at Araluen, a disability support organisation where he led and curated multiple art-based projects, focusing on promoting diversity and inclusion within the community. He was the founder and curator of Crowther Contemporary, an artist-run project space that focused on early career artists and contemporary art. The gallery was part of the Renew Australia initiative at Docklands, Melbourne, and showcased the work of 25 artists over 13 exhibitions. He is a multi award winning artist and finalist in numerous art prizes including the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, the Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize and the Substation Contemporary Art Prize. He graduated from the Victorian College of Arts with a Masters of Contemporary Art and continues to live and practice in Melbourne, Australia.
The Dax Centre is a gallery that educates and reduces stigma of mental health issues through art. As Curator and Collections Manager I curate and deliver compelling and inclusive visual art and cultural programs. The Dax Centre is custodian of The Cunningham Dax Collection, the only one of its size and type in Australia, and I am entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing its preservation, conservation, and further development. We recently launched my latest curatorial project 'Graeme Doyle - medicated man' on World Schizophrenia Day. Celebrating the life and art of Doyle, who lived with the condition, the exhibition also showcases portraits of Doyle by Archibald Prize winning artist Peter Wegner. The ABC featured the exhibition in the link below. In 2022, I co-curated and managed the 'Adopted' exhibition. Funded through an Arts and Creative Investment Partnership with The City of Melbourne I collaborated with contemporary artists Peter Waples-Crowe, Lisa Waup, Weniki Hensch and Ebony Hick, and academic and artist Dr. Kirsten Lyttle. Together we delivered an exhibition, artist talk, catalogue and workshops that gave voice to intercultural and intercountry adoptees.