Jen Dale is a painter, art historian, and curator at Figure Ground Collective, a practice specializing in museum planning, museum design, and curatorial services. She holds a Master’s degree in Art History and a Curatorial Diploma from York University (for more info, please see Dale’s Curatorial CV). Raised in Canada, and having lived in Japan and Mexico, Dale brings a broad cultural perspective to her work. She currently divides her time between Portland, OR and Seattle, WA.
Dale has a particular interest in narrative art and the ways stories create connections between people. She believes our attraction to stories is fundamental to how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Narratives allow us to imagine different possibilities, consider how we might respond to unfamiliar situations, and reflect on our relationships with others and our place within society.
This interest in storytelling informs Dale’s approach to curating. She develops exhibitions that invite audiences to engage with artworks through universal themes. For example, Folly, presented at Figure Ground Art Gallery in Seattle in November 2022, brought together the work of Aron Johnston, Carl Dobsky, Chris Pothier, Greg Hergert, Michael Tole, Steve Chmilar, and Vince Calenzo. The exhibition examined human error, failure, and foolishness—not simply as shortcomings, but as experiences through which we learn, grow, and better understand ourselves.
For Dale, effective curation begins with a compelling idea and develops into a meaningful conversation between artworks and audiences. Whether working with a single artist, a group exhibition, or a larger institutional project, she creates exhibitions in which the narrative is engaging, the ideas are accessible, and the experience stays with the viewer long after they leave the gallery.