As a pathways gallery, we champion artistic excellence, integrity, accessibility and experimentation, fostering diversity while empowering emerging artists to advance their careers and supporting established artists in their continued creative growth.

Owner and Director Sophie Vander founded Curatorial+Co. with a commitment to championing artists historically overlooked by the traditional art industry. This dedication to diversity and representation remains central to the gallery’s ethos, supporting artists across all stages of their careers – emerging, mid-career, and established.

Curatorial+Co. is committed to advancing gender parity within the arts, with the majority of represented artists identifying as female, including artists whose practices have been marginalised through ageism. The gallery actively supports exceptional Australian talent, positioning local artists on the international stage through participation in leading art fairs, most recently Syndey Contemporary, Art SG Singapore and Aotearoa Art Fair Auckland.

Originally conceived as an online gallery in 2015, Curatorial+Co. expanded into a physical space in 2020 within an iconic Redfern warehouse before relocating in 2023 to a prominent corner location on William Street, Woolloomooloo, amongst Sydney’s leading gallery precinct.

Representing more than 40 artists, the gallery delivers a dynamic exhibition and public program, activating the space through sound, opera, live drawing, and performance. Via our specialist Art Consultancy, the gallery connects artists with collectors, architects, designers, developers and hospitality groups. From private homes and hotels to workplaces and public spaces, Curatorial+Co. takes contemporary Australian art beyond the gallery’s white walls and into everyday life where it can be experienced, enjoyed and truly lived with.

Dedicated to artistic excellence with integrity, Curatorial+Co. fosters experimentation, accessibility, and meaningful long-term support for its artists.

Meet the team

Sophie Vander

Founder + Director

Sophie Vander is the Founder and Director of Curatorial+Co., a leading contemporary art gallery and art consultancy based in Sydney on Gadigal Country. Curatorial+Co. represents emerging, mid-career and established Australian artists across painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics and multidisciplinary practice.

With a talent for discovering new artists and creating meaningful connections between art, people and place, Sophie leads the gallery’s exhibition program while delivering bespoke art strategies and collections for private residences, hotels, workplaces, property developments and public spaces.

Sophie founded Curatorial+Co. with the belief that contemporary art should be for everyone – inspiring, accessible and engaging. Working alongside her curatorial team, she supports artists in building sustainable careers and helps collectors, architects, interior designers, developers and hospitality groups discover, curate and commission original art meant to be experienced.

Photography Anne Graham. Artwork Andre de Vanny

Claire Field

Associate Director - Art Consultancy

Claire Field is an experienced contemporary curator and art consultant who is deeply committed to facilitating art experiences that have a positive effect on people’s lives. Claire is skilled in the conceptualisation and delivering of large-scale public art projects, strategising the art integration at all stages of the project’s development, ensuring inspirational results are achieved. She is a lover of visual narrative, with a penchant for activating spaces to communicate an intended idea, mood, or style. With over 20 years’ experience working within both the public and private art sectors, Claire holds a Master of Art and Curatorship from Sydney University (2015), and Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Tasmania (2001).

Contact Claire

Litsa Velkedis

Associate Director - Gallery

Litsa Veldekis is a distinguished art advisor whose career spans senior leadership, curatorial practice, artist mentorship and the Australian art market. Former CEO of Menzies Art Brands, Head of Australian and International Art at Bonhams, as well as Director of her eponymous gallery, Litsa is recognised for her sophisticated understanding of artists, collections, and the evolving contemporary art landscape. To Curatorial+Co. Litsa brings extensive primary-market expertise and a deeply engaged approach to working with artists, supporting the development of their practices, positioning, and long-term careers. Litsa serves on the board of Liverpool Powerhouse and is President of the Art Consulting Association of Australia. She holds a Masters in Curatorship and Modern Art from the University of Sydney together with a bachelor’s degree majoring in Art History and Theory.

Contact Litsa

Emily Eden

Gallery Manager

Emily is deeply interested in the many unexpected ways we encounter and engage with art in everyday life. Guided by a commitment to making a lasting contribution to the art world, she is focused on advancing the development, visibility, and accessibility of contemporary art for diverse audiences. Through both her academic and professional pursuits, Emily aims to champion artists, foster creativity, and cultivate a dynamic art landscape across a vast range of communities.

Contact Emily

Ann Snell

Art Consultant

Ann Snell is an art consultant, curator, and arts leader with over two decades of experience across Australia’s visual arts sector. She previously served as director of Ann Snell Gallery (2003–2013) and partner with ArtX Contemporary Seattle. Working closely with established, emerging, and First Nations artists, Ann was a founding member of the Indigenous Code of Conduct, reflecting her enduring commitment to ethical practice and cultural advocacy. At Curatorial+Co., she advises private and corporate clients on acquisitions and commissions while helping to build collections of enduring artistic and cultural significance. Ann holds a Bachelor of Fine Art (Sculpture) from the National Art School (2001) and a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) from the University of Newcastle (2018).

Contact Ann

Jess Bruzzaniti

Assistant Curator

Jess is a thoughtful and detail-driven Assistant Curator with over a decade of experience working across the arts in galleries, consultancies, artist studios, and museums, including the Museum of Modern Art. Previously based in New York, she delivered complex curatorial projects for institutional and corporate clients, including Fortune 500 companies. Her practice is shaped by a unique global and cross-cultural perspective. Through considered curation and meaningful collaboration, she is highly attuned to artists’ intentions and the nuances of each space. Jess grounds each project in clarity, care, and an artist-first approach from concept through to completion.

Contact

Gabriela Sutherland

Project Manager

Gabriela is a Chilean-Australian project manager enthusiastic about delivering large scale projects and facilitating opportunities for artists. With an unconventional background that has led her to the arts, Gabriela is passionate about learning from and about changing environments, the interaction of art and people within diverse spaces, and contributing towards successful project outcomes for artists, clients, designers, architects and developers.

Contact Gabriela

David Vander

Director of Operations

David is a passionate and creative engineer. He is the former CEO of two global software companies and is a 16-year Microsoft veteran, where he held leadership roles such as Global Sales Excellence Lead and Worldwide Financial Services Lead. With over 25 years’ experience, David is respected for his operational excellence, commercial expertise, financial acumen and people leadership. He serves as the longest-tenured board member of the Banking Industry Architecture Network (BIAN) and sits on three tech start-up boards. David holds six degrees, including a PhD in Business Strategy.

Contact David

Ivana Byak

Gallery Assistant

Ivana is an arts professional whose unwavering commitment to contemporary art has led her to grow with Curatorial+Co. She views contemporary art as a powerful connective force, one that challenges, inspires, and reshapes how we navigate an increasingly fragmented world. Her own artistic practice informs her professional approach, allowing her to support artists with empathy and insight while facilitating a seamless, considered experience for clients. She is deeply invested in shifting how contemporary art is engaged with and accessed, believing that its impact extends beyond visual interpretation to become embodied, affective, and lived.

Contact Ivana