Melissa King became CEO of Craft Victoria in July 2017. Prior to joining the organisation, King was working with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Founded in 1970, Craft Victoria will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary as a membership based, not-for-profit institution. At the time of King’s appointment, Lousje Skala, chair of Craft Victoria said, “Craft is a jewel in Victoria’s cultural life and after 47 years is entering a pivotal time in its growth and development. We are thrilled to have found someone so perfectly suited to transform and lead our organisation.”
In her new role, King has overseen the final stages of moving from Flinders Lane in to new premises in the basement of 171 Collins Street, off Watson Place. “Our new bespoke home gives us the incredible opportunity to celebrate the work of even more of our members,” King said. “The space is very flexible and provides multiple exhibition areas and integrates our retail and exhibition arms.”
The new Craft Victoria space, designed by Melbourne architect Karen Abernethy, is already open, but it will be officially launched by the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, in late November.
Craft Victoria is now located in Watson Place, just off Flinders Lane behind Supernormal and opposite the Adelphi Hotel.
Josina Pumani’s electric ceramic work Maralinga—recently recognised at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards— deftly excavates a long-hidden past.
The growing cultural interest in art books reflects the enduring power of the printed word. Jane O’Sullivan takes a closer look.
Radical Textiles, A new exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia, shows us how textiles evoke material memories while keeping the radical lineage of needle and thread alive.
A Delicate Terrain, a new exhibition of works drawn from the Tweed Regional Gallery collection, looks at our relationship with the environment through the lens of contemporary art.
Natalya Hughes has a conflicted fascination with modernist men like Freud, Kirchner and de Kooning. Jane O’Sullivan takes a look at The Interior, the Institute of Modern Art monograph on her recent practice, and discovers difficult and provocative questions about not just the representation of women in art and culture, but also the careers of women artists in Australia.
For Lardil and Yangkaal writer and curator Maya Hodge, Archie Moore’s presentation at this year’s Venice Biennale is a powerful symbol of reckoning—one that asks the world to bear witness to the long shadows of colonial violence and clears space for possibilities ahead.
