From 2002 onwards, my father, Simon Olding, who has died aged 68 of cancer, was the director of the Crafts Study Centre, a museum devoted to modern British craft within the University of the Creative Arts in Farnham, Surrey.
His opening show exhibited the ceramicist Dame Magdalene Odundo. He went on to showcase a wide variety of artists in ceramics, textiles and other crafts, enriching the study and understanding of contemporary work.
Born in Exeter, Devon, Simon was one of three children of Roy, a headteacher at the Royal West of England Residential School for the Deaf, and Rita, the school’s matron. He studied English at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, followed by a PhD at Edinburgh. He began his museum career as graduate trainee at Glasgow Museums & Art Gallery, at Kelvingrove.
Joining Salisbury Museum as assistant curator of art, he became a committee member for the influential Museums Professionals Group. In 1985 he was appointed London museums officer for the Area Museums Service for South East England, and during his time there produced the guidebook London Museums and Collections (1989).
He first crossed paths with his future wife, Isabel Hughes, on an advisory visit as part of his post as museums officer. Although he spilled a cup of coffee on her the day they met – he was surprisingly clumsy for someone who dedicated his career to ceramics – they married in 1990.
In 1989 Simon was appointed director of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth. There he began to make a serious mark commissioning contemporary craft to interact with the traditional, and developing extensive community engagement programmes. As his reputation grew, he took up positions including board member of Southern Arts and chair of Salisbury Arts Centre.
In 1998 Simon became director of heritage policy at the Heritage Lottery Fund, where he introduced a comprehensive process of consultation and research.
Four years later he was appointed director of the Crafts Study Centre and in 2004 was made the professor of modern crafts of the University of the Creative Arts. In 2017, Simon co-curated Things of Beauty Growing: British Studio Pottery, alongside Glenn Adamson and Martina Droth. The exhibition, shown at the Yale Center for British Art in the US and the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, was celebrated for its expansive scale and stunning catalogue.
Diagnosed with cancer in May last year, Simon hoped to work on a final exhibition with Odundo. This was not to be, although days before he died he completed a history of the New Craftsman gallery in St Ives, which is due to be published later this year.
He is survived by Isabel, their two daughters – my sister, Mabel, and me – and his sister, Bryony, and twin brother, Mark.
