Esme Keenleyside (b. 2002, Rayleigh, Essex) is a UK-based artist and curator currently completing her Fine Art degree at Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton. Since beginning her studies, Esme has shown a strong commitment to building community within the arts, founding the WSA Artists Collective in 2022 to provide undergraduate students with opportunities to showcase their work beyond the university. She has organized and curated exhibitions in various venues, including The Railway Inn in Winchester and The Alfred Arcade in Southampton, in collaboration with ‘a-space’ arts.

In 2024, Esme was nominated by the university for the Freelands Foundation Painting Prize and received the Nancy Balfour Painting Prize. She has also joined the Ripe Collective and is currently working on curating a graduate art show with Turps Gallery. Her own practice, rooted in painting and sculpture, explores themes of nature, history, and memory, as seen in her solo exhibition The New Forest (and the existing forest) in 2023.

Keenleyside’s involvement in the arts extends to various administrative and outreach roles, including her work as Social Media Manager for the WSA Painting Prize and Outreach Assistant at Winchester Gallery. She has also held positions supporting workshops and community art events through organisations like Focal Point Gallery in Southend. Her dedication to both her art and the art community reflects her commitment to fostering collaboration and accessibility within the creative field.