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Ann Sumner

Ann Sumner

Ann took over as Chair of the Management Committee from John Gibbs in 2018.  She is a senior museum professional with 30 years' experience. Ann is a former Director of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (2007-12) and Barber Professor of Fine Art and Curatorial Practice. Prior to that, she was Head of Fine Art at the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff (2000 - 2007). She has held curatorial positions at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Holburne Museum, Bath and Dulwich Picture Gallery.

She was educated at Kingswood School, Bath, the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London and studied for her PhD at the University of Cambridge.

Ann worked as Historic Collections Adviser at Harewood House Trust in Yorkshire from 2015 – 2018 where she led the Chippendale 300 programming and was Head of Cultural Engagement at the University of Leeds from 2015 – 17, leading the Public Art Project.  She is a Visiting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she has researched the sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe binging out her book on her in 2021. She is passionate about sharing collections with broad audiences and now works as a freelance consultant.

Ann sits on the Advisory Committee for the School of Art Gallery & Museum, Aberystwyth University and  is a Trustee of Leeds Art Fund and of the Museum of Bath at Work, where she chairs the Fundraising and Development Committee.

Ann is leading the search for a New Home for the Collection. 


Corinne Miller 

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Corinne is the Vice Chair of the Management Committee.  Formerly Head of Culture, Arts and Heritage for Wolverhampton City Council, Corinne has over 30 years’ experience in local authority museums including galleries in both Wakefield and Leeds.  She currently combines her role as Associate Tutor on the MA in Museum Studies by Distance Learning at Leicester University with membership of a number of boards including Craftspace, a national craft agency, and the Leeds Art Fund.  She is the current President of the Leeds Fine Artists.  Corinne holds a degree in Art History from Manchester University. 


Sarah Allard  

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Sarah is a former curator, now based at the School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester where she manages their placement module and employability programme for postgraduate students. She first encountered the Methodist Modern Art Collection when it visited Leicester in 2019.

Sarah studied Art History and English Literature at the University of Birmingham, and following a bursary year working as curatorial and education assistant at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts she completed an MA in Museum Studies at Leicester. She went on to be Keeper of Fine Art and then Senior Keeper of Art at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, where she worked for seven years, caring for and developing the internationally renowned Joseph Wright of Derby collection, and curating exhibitions of local and regional interest.  In this role she gained considerable experience in looking after works on canvas and paper, and also in fund-raising for new acquisitions.  During this time she was also able to develop an interest and understanding of modern British art; from the Enlightenment, through the Victorian era and into the twentieth century.

Following a career break to focus on a young family, Sarah started work at the University of Leicester, where she joined the School of Museum Studies in 2015 as Museum Liaison and Employability Officer.  Her role at the University is both student and sector facing and she enjoys building and maintaining a network of relationships across the museums, arts and heritage sectors.  She hopes to be able to draw on these relationships to support, highlight and share the significance of the Methodist Modern Art Collection.  Sarah also has long-standing experience in working with volunteers of all ages and is looking forward to supporting the touring programme in this area.

Sarah is a member of Holy Trinity Church, Leicester where she has worshipped and served for over 20 years.


Katharine Farnham-Dear 

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Katharine Farnham-Dear holds a degree from Cambridge University and practised as a lawyer for many years before following her passion and obtaining degree in Art History from the Open University. 

Her involvement with the Collection started when she prepared the commentary for the online gallery. 

She is Church Secretary at Southgate Methodist Church and involved with a number of other charities in north London where she lives. 

Katharine is the Friends' Newsletter Editor.


Emily Fuggle 

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Emily Fuggle is a freelance curator, specialising in the management of museum collections and the curation, development and delivery of exhibitions. She is currently a PhD candidate, funded by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, based at the Ben Uri Gallery and Museum and Queen Mary, University of London.

Emily’s previous roles include curatorial and exhibitions positions at the Imperial War Museum, the Jewish Museum New York, the Garden Museum and the Huguenot Museum. The projects she has worked on include: management of exhibitions at the Jewish Museum in New York City including the delivery of new collection galleries; curating the history of Nazi persecution and the Holocaust at the Imperial War Museum (IWM); and working on Whose Remembrance? - a research project at IWM exploring the experiences of people in the British Empire during two world wars. In her role as Collections Programme Manager at the Science Museum, Emily led the team of curators working on the museum’s temporary exhibitions. Most recently, Emily worked as Curator of London South Bank University’s modern art collection.

Emily graduated with a MA in History of Art (modern art) from the Courtauld Institute of Art (Distinction) and a MA in Cultural Heritage Studies from UCL (Distinction). Emily holds Associateship (AMA) and is also a Mentor for the Museums Association.


Catherine Hutton

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Catherine has joined the committee as a Methodist presbyter.  She is currently stationed in the Sutton circuit looking after Epsom and Cheam Churches of the London District, but held earlier appointments in North Shields and Whitley Bay, the North Yorkshire moors and the Norwich Circuit as Superintendent in the East Anglia District.

This variety of appointments has helped her develop a multi-generational church approach where every opportunity to engage with local disciples and the wider community is taken; a hands-on approach to learning about God often involves engaging in group-art activities, especially on Good Friday and the Seasonal Celebrations. Supporting a multicultural circuit staff through the 2020 lockdown highlighted the importance of appropriate iconography and relevant visual stimulation for well-being in both life and faith.

Catherine first encountered the Methodist Modern Art Collection when it visited Leyburn and its range and scope of size and style impressed her. She is looking forward to working with the committee and sharing the vision for the future of the collection and especially how it can be used to help communities engage with both art and faith. 


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Graham Kent

Graham has been involved with the management and tours of the Collection for many years. He has worked in London, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester in urban, rural and ecumenical settings.

He studied Theology at Kings College London and later took a Masters' Degree in Art History at Leeds.

Formerly Superintendent of the Shaw & Rawton Circuit of the Methodist Manchester & Stockport District. He is a member of the Methodist-Anglican Panel for Unity in Mission.


David Maddock 

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Having studied Fine Art at Bristol Polytechnic, David taught Art and Design in secondary schools for 38 years while continuing his own practice as a painter. While teaching in Wakefield, he was able to complete a part-time master’s degree in Art History at Leeds Polytechnic where, among other things, he catalogued the works of George Clausen in the Leeds Art Gallery. He returned to part-time study at Leicester University some twenty years later when he was able to explore the influence of the Bloomsbury Group critics, Roger Fry and Clive Bell, on the development of modern art in America during the 1920s. A revised version of his PhD has been published.

David is a member of Christchurch Clarendon Park, a Baptist / Methodist Ecumenical Partnership in Leicester, having joined with his wife and children in 1993. Christened at Christchurch in Nazareth, Israel, where his parents served as missionaries, he has attended churches of various style and denomination since then.

For him, modern art represents a uniquely accessible means of communication, especially to a younger generation that is wary of organised religion, because of its appeal to spiritual values. David is also the new Secretary to the MMAC Friends.


Peter Shears 

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Peter is a highly experienced teacher, currently working in a Catholic comprehensive school. He has responsibility for the school’s Step-Up programme, encouraging and supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds in applying to university.  Peter’s first degree was in English Language and Literature.  In December 2022 he completed an MA in Christianity and the Arts at King’s College, London. The MA developed his awareness of how artworks can be interpreted theologically, enabling him to understand how the relationship between art and spirituality can be communicated to new audiences.

After 30 years as a classroom teacher, Assistant Head and Head of English Peter now works three days a week in school.  This enables him to devote time to a range of voluntary roles, including his work as a Lay Reader at St Anne’s Church in Lewes, where he is also a member of St Anne’s P.C.C.  He is a trustee of the Lewes Passion Play, which involves assisting with script writing, marketing, financial planning, and mission planning.  As a member of the Central Readers’ Council Education Working Group he contributes to the creation of resources and education programmes designed to support Reader ministry in the Church of England.

Peter has been nominated to the MMAC to develop relationships with schools and programming for young people.  He is looking forward to sharing his understanding of art as a theological medium by guiding new audiences as they interpret the richness of the Collection’s many and varied interpretations of Christian faith and belief for themselves.

Jo Hibbard, Director of Engagement, liaises with the Management Committee for the Connexional Team. She aims to ensure appropriate management support and resources available, and to share opportunities for collaboration on the promotion and use of the Collection.

Olivia Threlkeld, Connexional Heritage and Collections Officer, has responsibility and oversight of the Methodist collections, including the MMAC.

Liz Millard is the Collection's part-time Administrator, in addition to her role as a Senior Administrator in the Connexional Team.