Kenneth Cozens

Ken Cozens started to work for the museums service in 1958 at Middlesbrough Art Gallery as Caretaker Attendant. He went on to become Fine Arts Officer for Teesside County Museum Service in 1968 and continued after Local Government re-organisation in 1968 as Fine Arts Officer at Middlesbrough Art gallery. After 27 years in the Museum service he retired in 1985.

Ken was an interesting combination, a practising artist who delivered the service of an Art Gallery also. He maintained the flat above the gallery as a studio and living accommodation and was responsible for developing the building as a temporary exhibition space.

Ken Cozens has always been held in high esteem as a locally based artist, who exhibited widely whilst encouraging other artists. In 1955 Cozens was invited to hold his first one man exhibition in the gallery. He was then offered subsequent exhibitions at the gallery in 1962, 1966, 1969, 1977, and 1979 during his time there. He then received a major retrospective show held at Middlesbrough Art Gallery in 1983 shortly before he retired and a subsequent show of recent works in 1987.

Ken is remembered with fondness by many artists in the community, some having developed their practice through Ken's support in providing exhibitions for them during his time at the gallery.

[Background information for a press release on Ken Cozens from Middlesbrough Council on the occasion of his death in 2000]