As first reported on BPH on 21 February the V&A has now announced that Fiona Rogers has joined it as the inaugural Parasol Foundation Curator of Women in Photography. Fiona joins the V&A from Webber, a photographic agency and gallery with offices in London, New York, and Los Angeles, where she was Director of Photography & Operations.
In her new role, Fiona will lead activities for The Parasol Foundation Women in Photography Project, a major new curatorial programme to support women in photography. The Project, funded by Ms. Ruth Monicka Parasol and the Parasol Foundation Trust, encompasses the new curatorial post, endowed for 25 years, alongside acquisitions, research, education and public displays. It aims to foreground and sustain women’s practice in contemporary photography and highlight the role women have played throughout the history of the medium. Fiona will also develop a significant online presence for the Project, including a dedicated Instagram account to highlight works by women artists, which launched this week.
Fiona Rogers is the founder of Firecracker, a digital platform established in 2011 and network that champions women photographers. In 2012 Firecracker launched a Photographic Grant and has since awarded £20,000 in funding to international artists. In 2017, Fiona published Firecrackers: Female Photographers Now (Thames & Hudson) with co-author Max Houghton.
Fiona has curated exhibitions with a range of artists including Theo Simpson, Marvel Harris, and Zora J Murff and has contributed to books and magazines including Photoworks and the British Journal of Photography. She holds a BA from the Surrey Institute of Art & Design and is an Associate Lecturer in Photography at the London College of Communication. She is a member of the RPS Awards Committee and a Trustee of the Martin Parr Foundation and the Peter Marlow Foundation. Prior to joining the V&A and Webber, Fiona worked for Magnum Photos in a variety of roles, rising to Chief Operations Officer where she was responsible for running the agency and designing and implementing strategies in collaboration with the CEO.
The Parasol Foundation Women in Photography Project furthers the V&A’s mission to nurture contemporary artists and share the museum’s collections, knowledge, and expertise in photography. Through commissioning women to create new work, acquiring photography by women artists, devising women-led displays, and organising talks, educational programmes and events, the Project’s ambition is to support contemporary women artists, develop programming, and investigate the roles of women photographers within the V&A collection. International in scope, there will be a particular emphasis on digital art, and the digital distribution of resources and information via social media.
he Project is made possible through a major gift from Ms. Ruth Monicka Parasol and the Parasol Foundation Trust, a philanthropic trust established in 2004 that supports educational, health, culture and heritage initiatives. In addition to the Trust’s support of the Project, Gallery 97 at the V&A will be named The Parasol Foundation Gallery. This gallery, a space for displaying contemporary photography, is part of the V&A Photography Centre Phase Two development.
Fiona Rogers, The Parasol Foundation Curator of Women in Photography at the V&A, said: “It’s an honour to join the V&A at such an important and exciting phase in its evolution and continued engagement with photography. I’m grateful to the Parasol Foundation Trust for their support for the project and look forward to contributing and leading a dynamic program of activities that will support international contemporary practitioners, further the V&A’s commitment to women artists and share the work with a wide and diverse audience.”
Ms. Ruth Monicka Parasol said: “Fiona's appointment as the inaugural Parasol Foundation Curator of Women in Photography curator is a significant step for the project. Together we're aiming to celebrate the achievements of women, open up new opportunities for female photographers and connect and inspire new audiences around the world through our emphasis on digital activities and art.”
The V&A was the first museum in the world to collect photographs, beginning with its founding in 1852, and continues to collect and commission new work today. Phase One of the V&A Photography Centre opened to critical acclaim in 2018, sharing the breadth of the V&A’s world-leading photography collection, and Phase Two – with four new gallery spaces – will open in 2023.
The Parasol Foundation Women in Photography Project Instagram is here: @vamparasolwomenphoto
Image: © Joana Choumali
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