The Common Guild founding director to ‘pass the baton’ after 19 years

Founding director of The Common Guild (TCG), KATRINA BROWN, will step down in 2026 after 19 years in the post, noting that she has “no fixed plan as yet for what might come next”.

A planned leadership transition will begin in December with TCG’s curator, CHLOE REITH, who joined in 2019, stepping into the role of interim director.

Reith will work alongside Brown as she continues in a part-time capacity in the run-up to her eventual departure in the spring.

Brown established The Common Guild in 2006 as a small, visual arts-focused company, based in Glasgow, working with artists in different formats across projects, events and exhibitions.

During her time heading up the organisation, Brown worked on the reuse and development of its current home in a former school building on the River Clyde, and recently secured Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland.

“When I started The Common Guild, my hope was simple but ambitious: to do something new and different with contemporary art in and for Glasgow,” said Brown.

“We have made so many unforgettable experiences, and I am hugely grateful to every single one of the artists who accepted the invitation to come and work with us, sometimes over a period of years. With a strong but still tiny team, a permanent home and secure funding in place, now is the ideal moment for me to pass on the baton,” she continued.

TCG chair, LUCY ASKEW, added, “Under [Brown’s] direction, The Common Guild has supported local and international artists at pivotal moments, fostered critical dialogue and created a culture of hospitality for artists and audiences. We’d like to thank Katrina for her dedication to building The Common Guild into what it is today and wish her the very best for whatever the future holds.”