Dr Matthew Macaulay is a curator, researcher and painter. He is a Lecturer on the BA Fine Art and MA Painting programmes at Wrexham University.
He was awarded the Garfield Weston Artist in Residency award at Aberystwyth Art Centre, and the Drawing Artist in Residence at Rugby Independent School.
In 2011, he founded CLASS ROOM, which was a contemporary arts gallery and venue in Coventry, which provided an important platform for practitioners from the region to develop and share new bodies of work. He is the founder of Facture an online journal for painting.
He completed his PhD that combined his interests in British abstract painting and arts education, titled 'Shifting teaching practices of non-representational painters in British higher education 1975 – 2005', in 2021. His current research interests include painting, historical and contemporary arts education, abstraction, British art and artists' magazine studies.
Research Interests
Matthew's research interest include art education and pedagogy, the role of abstraction within art education, impact of Higher Education reforms on fine art, project-based and discursive learning in arts education, networks and artist-led initiatives and the histories of British art schools and colleges.
Interest and expertise in oral history, interviewing, archival research, case study analysis, grounded theory and interdisciplinary approaches.
Collaborators
| Name | Role | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Silvie Jacobi | co-researcher | London School of Mosaics |
Publications
| Year | Publication | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Escaping the straitjacket: art school influences on the development of forums and magazines in the 1970s'Connect/Cut. Infrastructures and collective activity,, Connect/Cut. Infrastructures and collective activity. Matthew Macaulay |
Conference Contribution |
| 2019 | British Abstract Artists in Higher Education 1975 to 2005, University of Gloucestershire. Matthew Macaulay |
Conference Contribution |
| 2019 | Motion and Stillness: Works by Gary Wragg, Matthew Macaulay |
Other Publication |
| 2018 | British Abstract Painting in the Eighties, | Other Publication |
| 2018 | Jeff Dellow: Visual Stream, Matthew Macaulay |
Book |
Honors and Awards
| Date | Title | Awarding Body |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jane Sutton Memorial Award | Coventry University |
| 2013 | Garfield Weston Artist in Residence | Aberystwyth University |
| 2012 | Drawing Artist in Residence | Rugby Independent School |
Professional Associations
| Association | Function | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| National Association for Fine Art Education | Subject Associations | 2020 |
| Coventry Arts Forum | Advocacy | 2011 - 2022 |
Employment
| Employer | Position | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| De Montfort University | Part-Time Lecturer in Fine Art | 2023 - 2025 |
| Aberystwyth University | Visiting Lecturer in Fine Art | 2013 - 2013 |
| University of Northampton | Associate Lecturer in Painting and Drawing | 2023 - 2024 |
| Coventry University | Visiting Lecturer in Fine Art | 2011 - 2021 |
| Loughborough University | Associate Lecturer in Fine Art | 2025 - 2025 |
Education
| Institution | Qualification | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry University | PhD | Shifting teaching practices of non-representational painters in British higher education 1975 – 2005 |
| Coventry University | Masters Degree | Painting |
| Coventry University | Bachelor's Degree with Honours | Fine Art |
| Coventry University | Higher National Diploma | Foundation in Art & Design |
Languages
| Language | Reading | Writing | Speaking |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Native / Bilingual Proficiency | Native / Bilingual Proficiency | Native / Bilingual Proficiency |
Journal Reviewer or Editor
| Journal Name | Activity | From/To |
|---|---|---|
| Journal of Contemporary Painting | Peer Reviewer | 2019 |
Programs/ Modules Coordinated
| Title | Subject |
|---|---|
| Questioning | ARD723 |
| Specialist Study | ARF508 |
| Fine Art Degree Project | ARF606 |