I graduated from Bard College with a major in photography (under the guidance of Stephen Shore, Lucas Blalock, and Walid Raad) and a secondary focus in art history.
As an undergraduate at Bard, I was given the opportunity to study at the Hessel Museum’s Center for Curatorial Studies. I had the great pleasure of learning from writer and art historian Alex Kitnick, who introduced a whole world of curatorial thinking, research, and historical knowledge that has inspired and energized me.
The true honor of the curatorial class at Bard was the physical proximity to art that an archive space like CCS presents. I enjoy nothing more than consuming myself entirely in artworks; researching, asking, listening, and living with artists and their creations.
Immediately after graduating I helped organize, install, and show work at Jose Martos’ gallery Shoot The Lobster, newly relocated in Glasgow, Scotland. Following the opening, I began work alongside Dan Colen and Sarah Workneh, founder and co-director of Sky High Farm. I was registrar of Sky High Farm’s Biennial Benefit exhibition Trees Never End and Houses Never End, which raised funds and awareness for their mission of feeding the undernourished through regenerative farming. I helped oversee the installation of the biennial, artist contracts, condition reports, and sales. Caring for a biennial consisting of more than 170 artworks was a great joy and also a great responsibility.
For the past nine months I’ve worked at Artists Space, a non-profit arts organization where I assist with research for curatorial projects, program support for readings and events, visitor engagement, website upkeep, and written pieces for the newsletter. For the winter exhibition, Time // Time Dec 2025 - Feb 2026, I had the opportunity to work with the archive of performance artist Ralston Farina, editing, organizing, and scanning all negatives and photographic material from the 1960s and 70s. For the current exhibition, David Armstrong: Portraits I assisted with research and image sourcing.
With the support of Shoot the Lobster I have just published a book, Meet Me On The Dancefloor, consisting of photography and writing currently circulating at Mast Books.
I deeply wish to continue channeling my excitement and energy through experience. I am confident that I can provide the support and drive to be a valuable resource. More than anything, I want to continue probing the ways in which photography and art can reach a larger audience. From my mentors, I have learned that challenging the methods of viewership, engagement, and craftsmanship while consciously respecting the foundation of artist communities is invigorating, and I only wish to continue ever learning.
Sincerely,
Cherry Handforth
CHERRY HANDFORTH
305 794 6427 l cherryhandforth@gmail.com l New York, NY l cherryhandforth.com
EXPERIENCE
Curatorial Intern, Artists Space New York, NY August 2025 - May 2025
Research assistant for curatorial projects and upcoming exhibitions
Program support for readings, educational outreach, and events
Front desk administration, website upkeep, and writer for monthly newsletter
Producer of Special Events, Jose Martos’ Shoot The Lobster Glasgow, Scotland and New York, NY June 2025 - Present
Published Meet Me On The Dancefloor, hosted readings with Peter Fend, Ryan Foerster, and Sem Lala
Artist and organizer for New York winter group show including Scott Reeder, Trinity Bavaria, Xingzi Gu, and others
Installation and curation of group show including Hayley Tompkins, Sue Tompkins, Sgàire Wood, Yuki Xu and many others at 5 Florence Street Glasgow, UK in June
Registrar, Sky High Farms Biennial founded by artist Dan Colen Germantown, NY Summer 2025
Sales, artwork conditioning, installation, and photography for an exhibition of 170 pieces
Biennial Benefit supporting Sky High Farm’s mission of feeding the underserved
Worked along side Dan Colen’s studio team including co-executive director Sarah Workneh
Darkroom Chemist / Monitor / Advisor, Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY August 2024 - May 2025
Darkroom setup, chemistry preparation, print advising, and film development and darkroom printing guidance/teaching
Gallery Assistant, Ruthann Gallery Catskill, NY January - May 2025
Editorial Photographer for art and culture magazine Super Stars Only Issue 5 New York, NY April 2024
Hannah Arendt Center Media Fellow, Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY June 2023 - January 2024
Student Teaching Assistant, Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY July 2023 - September 2023
Library Desk Assistant, Bard College Annandale-on-Hudson, NY December 2021 - April 2022
Art Dealer, Art Basel/NADA Art Fair Miami Beach, FL December 2018
Represented Martos Gallery, New York with sales for Detroit-based artist Tyree Guyton
Assisted gallery director Ebony Haynes
EDUCATION
BARD COLLEGE, Bachelor of Arts in Photography, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY May 2025
SLADE SCHOOL OF FINE ART, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON, Low Tech Photography, London GBR June 2019
Refrences:
Kelly Taxter
Deputy Director of Artists Space
kelly@artistsspace.org
Jay Sanders
Executive Director & Chief Curator
jay@artistsspace.org
Sarah Workneh
Co-director of Sky High Farms
Past co-director of Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture
sarah@skyhighfarm.org
Dan Colen
Artist
Founder and Board President of Sky High Farms
dan@skyhighfarm.org
Anders Johnson
Studio Manager of Dan Colen Studios
anders@dancolenstudio.net
Jose Martos
Director of Martos Gallery and Shoot The Lobster
jose@martosgallery.com