Hull gallery team ‘delighted’ to welcome back former curator

Curator DAVE MCLEAVY will make his return to Hull’s Humber Street Gallery, having worked with the organisation behind it a few years prior.

McLeavy is to lead the home for contemporary art as chief executive officer and artistic director from 2 February. He follows MARIANNE LEWSLEY-STIER, who departed after a year in the role in June 2025.

He led the creative programme at the gallery in his previous role as curator at its parent organisation Absolutely Cultured, between 2021 and 2022.

Founder and editor of Young Artists in Conversation, a platform presenting interviews with up-and-coming talent within the visual arts, McLeavy previously worked for Bloc Projects in Sheffield and has freelanced in consultancy and curatorial worlds in the UK and further afield.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to Humber Street Gallery,” he said. “While I haven’t been part of the team for a few years, I’ve stayed closely connected to the programme and have loved experiencing the gallery as an audience member. It feels like the right moment to come back and help shape what comes next.

“I’m excited to work with the team to build on the gallery’s strengths, while being realistic about the challenges facing the sector.”

QAISAR MAHMOOD, chair of Absolutely Cultured, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Dave back to Humber Street Gallery as our new chief executive and artistic director.

“He brings a strong mix of curatorial insight, leadership experience and strategic thinking, alongside a genuine connection to the organisation and the city.”