Alexander Sturgis

Alexander Sturgis CBE
Born	(1963-11-06) 6 November 1963 (age 61) London, England, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Other names	Xa Sturgis The Great Xa
Alma mater	University College, Oxford Courtauld Institute of Art
Occupation(s)	Curator Museum director
Employer(s)	National Gallery Holburne Museum Ashmolean Museum
Title	Director of the Ashmolean Museum
Predecessor	Christopher Brown

Alexander John Sturgis CBE (born 6 November 1963) is a British art historian and museum curator. He is currently Director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and was Director of the Holburne Museum in Bath from 2005 to 2014.

Early life

Sturgis was born on 6 November 1963 in London, England. ^[1] He was educated at Marlborough College, a private school in Marlborough, Wiltshire. ^[1] He studied history at University College, University of Oxford from 1982 to 1985. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, which was later promoted to a Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin) (MA Oxon) degree. ^[2] He undertook post-graduate study in art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. ^[3] and completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1990. ^[2]

Career

Sturgis worked at the National Gallery, London, from 1991 to 2005. ^[3] Beginning in the education department, ^[2] he later served as exhibitions and programmes curator from 1999 to 2005. ^{[4] [5]} In 2005, he was appointed Director of the Holburne Museum in Bath. ^[6] During his time at Holburne, he oversaw a renovation of the museum that included a £13 million extension. ^[7]

From the 2014/2015 academic year he was appointed Director of the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum on 1 October 2014. ^{[4] [8]} He is also a Supernumerary Fellow of Worcester College, Oxford. ^[9]

His publications include Rebels and Martyrs: The Image of the Artist in the Nineteenth Century (2006) and Presence: Sculpture and the Portrait (2012).

Personal life

In his spare time, Sturgis is a magician under the name The Great Xa and appeared on 1990s British TV programme The Word appearing to swallow sharp razor blades. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13]}

Selected works

• Sturgis, Alexander (1994). Magic in art: tricks, perspective, illusions. London: Belitha Press. ISBN   978-1855613577.
• Sturgis, Alexander (1998). Faces. London: National Gallery Publications. ISBN   978-1857092226.
• Sturgis, Alexander (2000). Telling time. London: National Gallery Company. ISBN   978-1857099058.
• Sturgis, Alexander; Child, Lauren (2003). Dan's angel: a detective's guide to the language of painting. London: Frances Lincoln. ISBN   978-0711218857.
• Sturgis, Alexander; Christiansen, Rupert; Oliver, Lois; Wilson, Michael (2006). Rebels and martyrs: the image of the artist in the nineteenth century. London: National Gallery Company. ISBN   978-1857093469.
• Sturgis, Alexander (2009). Faces (2nd ed.). London: National Gallery Company. ISBN   978-1857094640.
• Sturgis, Alexander (2012). Presence: the art of portrait sculpture. Suffolk: Antique Collectors Club. ISBN   978-1851496853.
• Vestey, Joanna; Sturgis, Alexander; Roberts, Russell (2015). Custodians. Oxford: Ashmolean Museum Publications. ISBN   978-1854442970.

References

1. 'STURGIS, Dr Alexander John', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online end, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 16 May 2017
2. "New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed". University of Oxford. 23 January 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
3. "Director of Holburne Museum to talk about its recent redevelopment". University news. University of Bath. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
4. "New director set to take over at Ashmolean Museum". Oxford Mail . 24 January 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
5. "New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed". News and events. Ashmolean Museum . Retrieved 10 March 2014.
6. "Bath's Holburne Museum director is leaving for new role at the Ashmolean in Oxford". The Bath Chronicle . 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
7. "New role for Holburne Museum director at the Ashmolean". Western Daily Press . 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
8. "Courtauld alumnus appointed as Director of Ashmolean Museum". News. The Courtauld Institute . Retrieved 10 March 2014.
9. "Dr Alexander Sturgis MA, PhD". Worcester College, Oxford . Retrieved 25 August 2015.
10. Moore, Charles (25 January 2014). "The Spectator's Notes: George Osborne's personal recovery". The Spectator . Retrieved 10 March 2014.
11. "The Great Xa's Holburne illusion". BD online. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
12. "The life of a modern magician: Razor blades, ballet shoes and bumping into the Obamas". Country Life . 20 December 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
13. The Great Xar - Swallowing Razor Blades THEWORD (Video). Retrieved 23 August 2022.

Cultural offices
Preceded by Christopher Brown	Director of the Ashmolean Museum 2014–present	Incumbent