About Us

October Gallery has been instrumental in bringing to worldwide attention many of the world’s leading international artists, including El Anatsui, Rachid Koraïchi, Romuald Hazoumè, Nnenna Okore, Laila Shawa and Kenji Yoshida. The Gallery promotes the Transvangarde, the very best in contemporary art from around the planet, as well as maintaining a cultural hub in central London for poets, writers, intellectuals and artists, and hosts talks, performances and seminars, see www.octobergallery.co.uk/events

The rich diversity of art presented is an inspiration to collectors and enthusiasts. Institutions such as the British Museum, London; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf, Germany; Neue Galerie, Kassel, Germany; Setagagya Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan have all collected works from October Gallery.

Founded in 1979, October Gallery is a charitable trust which is supported by sales of art, rental of the Gallery's unique facilities, grants from various funding bodies and the active support of dedicated artists, musicians, writers and many friends from around the world.  The Gallery’s Education Department is inclusive of all ages from under 5’s to PGCE student and delivers a wide range of provision, see http://www.octobergalleryeducation.co.uk/

The Team

	Chili Hawes, FRGS, is one of the Founders of October Gallery and Director since its opening in1979. A native of the Rocky Mountains, she obtained a BA in French Literature from Colorado College, followed by a year at the Sorbonne and post-graduate work in Linguistics at Claremont Graduate School and has taught at all levels of the educational system both in the USA and Australia. A founder and director of Institute of Ecotechnics www.ecotechnics.edu, she has managed various ecological projects in the high desert of New Mexico, the Outback of Australia and the south of France. She has travelled widely including major research trips for the October Gallery to India, Melanesia, Peru, Southern Africa and Fiji.
	Elisabeth Lalouschek, Artistic Director of October Gallery, was born in Vienna and holds an MA in Fine Art from the Royal College of Art. She joined October Gallery in 1987 and has been instrumental in creating a solid foundation for the idea of the Transvangarde, the transcultural avant-garde.  Lalouschek has furthered the careers of a range of outstanding artists. She has organised and curated the majority of exhibitions at October Gallery, as well as collaborating on numerous projects nationally and internationally, most notably those promoting contemporary African art.
Gerard Houghton, Director of Special Projects, October Gallery, was born in England.  After graduating from Churchill College, Cambridge, he travelled extensively throughout West Africa working as an interpreter for a researcher into African History, before taking his linguistic skills to the Far East. Arriving in Japan, he served as an Educational Advisor to the Kyoto Prefectural Government and taught Literature and Linguistics at several prestigious Japanese colleges, Nara Women’s University and Kyoto University amongst them. He is a graduate of the Urasenke School of Tea and a Licentiate of the Kameoka School of the Japanese Traditional Performing Arts. He has maintained a keen interest in oriental culture since returning to the UK after fifteen years in Japan. For the last ten years he has been working to document and archive ancient dance traditions in the Himalayas, using his skills as videographer (the films are archived in the New York Public Library and are touring museums worldwide). He has been with October Gallery since 1994, and is currently a free-lance writer, translator with interests in a wide range of subjects both artistic and scientific.
	Jo Walsh, Space Hire and Event Manager, is Nga Puhi, from Aotearoa, New Zealand.  Nine years ago, armed with a marketing degree in Commerce & Administration, she travelled to the UK.  Since then she has managed an international knowledge community and supported strategic and new business relationships at Universal Music International.  Now following her passion for art and global culture, Jo is producing projects with New Zealand artists, alongside managing rental spaces and new partnership and development opportunities for October Gallery.
	Stefani Abadian-Crone, Special Projects, was born in the Netherlands.  She holds a BA from Hotel Management School in Leeuwarden and started her career with the Sheraton Brussels Hotel & Towers, co-ordinating groups of 200 to 700 people in banqueting and rooms. Following her sales experience with Swissôtel, she started her own enterprise as a trainer in personal development. She joined the October Gallery in January 2008 and is currently overseeing the smooth coordination of various Gallery projects and exhibitions, including participation in art fairs.
	Alana Pryce Tojcic Tojcic, Press and Media, Welsh born, is October Gallery’s point of contact for all communications and press enquires. She has 18 years experience in the Creative Industry as a Creative for Sky Creative and as an assistant producer at the BBC.  Alana has implemented channel launches, identity re-brands and has promoted arts programme, blockbuster movies and popular drama across all media platforms. Her extensive creative background prompted her in 2002, to utilise her copywriting and promotional skills to assist artists with their own promotion strategy.  Currently a Media Promotion Consultant, she seized the opportunity to work with October Gallery to pursue her passion for the arts and to assist the directors’ artistic vision for this international gallery.
	Ella Phillips, Education Manager, has over 9 years experience working in the education sector. She has coordinated successful art projects with youth groups, adults and children for various organisations across London. Since graduating from the University of Kent with a BA Joint Honours in English & American Literature and French, she has worked and studied in both France and Switzerland. Currently also a Supporting Artist for the Whitechapel Gallery school residency, she continues to develop her own art practice alongside programming education events at October Gallery.

Location

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