Cultural Capital: Innovating Connections Between Art, Business, and Sustainable Leadership
This panel will explore the transformative connections between art and business, shedding light on how these intersections create dynamic networks that bridge emerging and established careers. With a particular emphasis on empowering women leaders and promoting sustainable cultural practices, the discussion will highlight the critical role of art in shaping more inclusive, forward-thinking industries.
Featuring speakers at the forefront of curatorial strategy, art finance, and cultural entrepreneurship, the session will delve into the innovative strategies used to cultivate meaningful relationships and networks that drive creativity, innovation, and growth in the modern art world. From building cross-disciplinary collaborations to leveraging cultural capital for sustainable leadership, this conversation will provide a unique perspective on how art and business intersect to create new opportunities and address pressing global challenges.
Attendees will gain valuable insights into the practical and strategic approaches used by industry leaders to foster cultural and economic impact. This panel is a must-attend for those interested in exploring the future of art, business, and leadership in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape.
Lucy-Anne Garnett is an Art Advisor for Citi Private Bank Art Advisory. She helps collectors’ source, build, and borrow against museum quality collections, and specializes in Impressionist, Post-War and Modern art. Prior to joining Citi, Lucy-Anne worked for 25 years across various aspects of the art market. She spent her formative years at Christie’s in London and New York, before becoming an Executive Director of the Waterhouse and Dodd Gallery in London. At W&D, she led their art fairs in London, New York, Palm Beach, and Los Angeles, and went on to spearhead the gallery’s fine art broking business for high-net-worth collectors. Lucy-Anne set up her own art advisory business, Art Garnett Ltd, in 2007 advising a portfolio of international high net worth private and corporate clients in the acquisition and sale of Post-War and Contemporary fine art. Additionally, Lucy-Anne oversaw a diverse range of projects, from advising on and managing the sale of a multi-million-pound Indian painting collection through Christies New York, to building a Contemporary art collection of female emerging artists for a UK-based Middle Eastern client. Lucy-Anne has conceptualized and managed numerous art events, including private collection tours, art talks, and sponsorship programs for corporate institutions such as Singer & Friedlander, GAM (Gilbert de Botton Art Prize) Merrill Lynch Investment Management, and Rothschild. A passionate supporter of the arts, she has also established, on behalf of clients, patronage of galleries, non-profit foundations and educational organizations including University of the Arts London, City & Guilds of London Art School, Pallant House Gallery, Ingram Collection, UAL Future Map, and Calvert 22.
Sigrid Kirk was born in New Zealand and has an MA in the History of Art from the University of Auckland. She runs her own curatorial, advisory and strategy business with a strong interest in sustainable cultural production. In 2016, she co-founded Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA) to support female ambition and the talent pipeline through online and in person professional development, mentoring and networking events. In Oct 2024, she launched a new initiative "NXT GEN" to demystify the artworld and make career paths and opportunities clearer for emerging professionals. Kirk is a committed supporter of arts institutions and over the years has been trustee of the Drawing Room and Cubitt, Advisory Board of Glasgow International, and Ikon Gallery, Birmingham. She and her husband are patrons of Dundee Contemporary Arts, Drawing Room, Fruitmarket Gallery Edinburgh, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Gasworks, Studio Voltaire, INIVA, South London Gallery and CCA Goldsmiths among others. She was guest curator for the Royal Society of Sculptors summer exhibition in 2021. Recently she curated the art for the private members club Maison Estelle and Estelle Manor in the Cotswolds, as well as a showcase for luxury interiors brand Zoffany at the new generation art fair Eye of the Collector.
Katy Wickremesinghe is an Award-winning British-Sri Lankan entrepreneur and Founder of KTW & The Wick. KTW is a development consultancy forging links between global corporates and the art world to build cultural equity and art market credibility. The Wick is a cultural content hub and creative solutions platform – a global first created to "Connect Culturally Curious” audiences with dynamic specialist content and programming across digital and in-person events. Dedicated to education and creativity, The Wick offers navigation to a complex art market, allowing anyone to be an art world insider. A regular moderator and cultural commentator across arts and business, Katy strives to build female and diverse voices. She presented Sotheby’s contemporary previews in 2023 for their digital audience of 19 million and also regularly speaks as an expert on Radio Times and BBC and with Walpole. Driven by a commitment to education and diversifying access to the arts, Wickremesinghe is a Trustee of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Royal Academy, and Dulwich Picture Gallery and sits on the advisory board of The Line, London’s first public art walk. She has been recognised by PR WEEK as one of the top three luxury communicators in Britain.
WHEN: Thursday, 13 March 2025
5.30 PM – 6.30 PM: Fireside discussion in Keynes Lecture Theatre
6.30 PM – 7.15 PM: Drinks reception and networking in the Bar
WHERE: King’s College, Cambridge
TICKETS: tickets will be released in 2025