“The ultimate thing is to care deeply about what you do and be kind to everyone. How you make someone feel is what they will remember more than anything.”
Charlotte Leseberg Smith's Career Takeaways as the Associate Gallery Director of Soho Revue
University can sometimes feel like art is on a pedestal and there isn't that bridge to understand how to A, sell it, B, where your place would fit in in the industry and how you could kind of put your education into real life practice.
One of the things I learnt at my time at Outset was the acquisition process which in museums is usually a two-year process. The contemporary art market is incredibly rapid so this may be interesting to consider when thinking how you like to work.
If your dream is to be a director of an art gallery or run your own art gallery, I wouldn't be afraid to go and work in partnerships somewhere, go and work with museums, because it all contributes to your personal brand and network which is ultimately why people hire you.
In terms of your first internship work experience, try for larger organisations because they have structures in place to accommodate. Smaller organisations won’t always have the capacity to support interns but are great for first jobs. It means you get the largest amount of responsibility and you're trusted more. You get to accelerate your learning and cultivate your skill set from a much earlier age.
Grow your network very organically and most importantly in line with your mission and goals. It’s all very well and good just being in the scene and showing up to gallery openings, but you have to be really clear and intentional with what you want to get out of it. Why do you want to be there?
Charlotte’s Typical Day
Starting the Day: "The first 30 minutes are dedicated to quick tasks—emails, follow-ups—so that the "ball is in their court," allowing me to focus on longer form tasks."
Financial Oversight: "I do spend a lot of my time in spreadsheets, because that is what makes the world tick. I conduct audits tracking overspend, underspend, incoming funds, outgoing expenses, etc. This is where university research skills are useful— you're unpicking and finding out what went really well and what maybe you can improve on next time."
"While we have philanthropic goals, at the end of the day, we’re here to make money and put money in artists' pockets. Having financial literacy and being able to move yourself around is useful."
"Spreadsheets are not just organizational tools; they ensure continuity, allowing anyone to step in and understand the workflow. It’s important not only for the health of the organization and communication, but also for your own mental health."
PR Strategy: "I check in with our PR consultant to ensure our annual strategy stays on track."
Exhibition Programming: "This includes reaching out to artists, scheduling studio visits, handling shipping, and writing exhibition texts."
"Shipping logistics often turn into real-life math problems—when an artwork doesn’t fit through a door or must be collected from a distant location. There’s always a solution, and that challenge can be fun."
FYI: Primary market represents current artists - work straight from the studio that hasn't been on the market before e.g. Soho Revue. Secondary markets the primary clientele or the primary people with whom these galleries work are collectors or they know the dealers e.g. Skarstedt gallery
Charlotte Leseberg Smith has had an impressive trajectory in the arts working closely with artists and museums alike, alongside developing partnerships, strategy and special projects. Working with organisations such as Sarabande Foundation (established by Lee Alexander McQueen) and Outset Contemporary Art Fund (where she co-founded theVOV with Vortic Art) to name just a few, have all led to her current position as Associate Director at Soho Revue.
Charlotte’s independent research and curatorial work, which was most recently featured at the latest Christie's Lates, centers on amplifying the voices of contemporary under-represented artists, translating their stories and works into compelling exhibitions and projects.