PRESIDENT

After gaining his design qualifications in Belgium, Peter practiced as a Design Architect, both corporately and as a private practitioner, realising many architectural projects in Europe and in Australia.

His passion for design steered Peter's focus towards the teaching profession and he has dedicated the last thirty years to vocational design education at tertiary, undergraduate and post-graduate levels, with a special emphasis on broadening collaborative links with institutions worldwide.

He was Dean of the Faculty of Design at the Canberra Institute of Technology from 2004 until 2010 when he became Head of the School of Design and Associate Dean International at the University of Canberra prior to join Open Colleges in 2015 as Dean of the Faculty of Creative Industries. He is still actively engaged in his private architectural practice.

VICE PRESIDENT

Katrina Wybrow is a Canberra based independent Financial Adviser with over 30 years experience, who provides services to clients all over the world.

She is passionate about the arts and supporting artists whose work she believes provide us with much joy in our everyday lives and sees CAPO Board Membership as a practical way to support them.

Katrina has been back in Canberra for 22 years and loves being a Ken behran!

She has a partner and 2 adult children.

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Marilyn has worked as part-time Executive Officer for CAPO since 2000 after initially joining the CAPO board in 1999.

Marilyn is currently joint owner of Mailboxes Etc. Manuka a small business in Manuka. Prior to managing Mailboxes Etc. Manuka and joining CAPO Marilyn was Executive Officer of the Canberra School of Art ANU for 9 years working with the Director, Professor David Williams. 10 years prior to her employment at the ANU School of Art Marilyn worked as Centre Administrator of the Centre for Mathematical Analysis, Australian National University- a Centre of Excellence set up in the Malcolm Fraser era of Government.

Marilyn has continued to work with CAPO for over twenty years as she believes strongly in the philanthropy of the Arts and what CAPO has achieved for the Canberra arts community.

TREASURER

Bruno has been a member on the CAPO Board since March 2018, holding the position of Treasurer, and enjoys being able to give back to community through this position.

Professionally, Bruno is a Chartered Accountant at MGI Joyce|Dickson in Canberra. He works closely with a diverse range of clients across various industries. Bruno specialises in small and medium businesses and provides expert advice regarding structuring, business valuations, taxation, business growth, debt restructuring and lending. His empathy along with attention to detail is what sets Bruno apart and enables him to develop personalised relationships with his clients. It is these relationships that allow Bruno to provide tailored holistic advice aimed at working with the client to achieve their business, financial and personal aspirations.

Outside of work, Bruno is married with two children. He moved from Darwin to Canberra in 2013. His interests include playing soccer, reading and being involved in the local church community (including youth group).

BOARD MEMBER

Julianne fell into Interior Design by accident while travelling overseas. Since then she has worked in London, Melbourne and Canberra on projects around Australia and overseas. Her clients’ projects include: large scale commercial (government and corporate), exhibition design, set-design, hospitality and retail. Julianne has also worked with furniture designers and manufacturers helping to get projects from design concept to mass-production.

Julianne is currently the Head of Department for Creative & Design Industries at CIT, which looks after Fashion, Interior Design, Photography & Visual Arts. She was a founding member of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) ACT Chapter and continues to be a judge for regional and national HIA Awards.

Enjoys organising international design study tours (Asia, Europe and US) which are structured to contain special events that are not available to the general public and meeting international artists and craftsmen.

BOARD MEMBER

Emily Casey lives and works on Ngunnawal/Ngambri country, Kamberri (Canberra). She is a passionate supporter of our local arts community. Having held positions in artist led organisations and national institutions, her work traverses education, exhibitions and research. She has an MA in Art Museum and Gallery Studies from the University of Leicester, and a BA in Visual Arts, and a BA in Asia-Pacific Studies from the Australian National University.

BOARD MEMBER

Georgina is a long time resident of Canberra, passionate about art, and a keen supporter of Canberra’s art scene. Since 2010 Georgina has been a voluntary guide at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) where she loves to showcase and introduce the national art collection to visitors, particularly primary school groups visiting Canberra from interstate, who in some cases are visiting an art gallery for the first time. Georgina has guided in major NGA exhibitions including Botticelli to Van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso and most recently Cressida Campbell.

In recent years Georgina has supported, managed and curated several local art exhibitions featuring artworks by established and emerging artists (fellow NGA guides).

During her Australian Public Service (APS) career, Georgina held positions in various arts related roles and programs within the Federal Arts Department and Cultural Institutions.

Georgina is community minded and for some years was a Lifeline telephone counsellor. She has a partner, two sons and four wonderful grandchildren.

BOARD MEMBER

Mahala Hill is a contemporary ceramic artist based in regional NSW. Mahala completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts with a specialisation in Ceramics at the Australian National University School of Art and Design in 2015, followed by First Class Honours in 2017.

Mahala Hill is renowned for her innovative approach to ceramics, characterised by experimental techniques. While engaging in material exploration, Mahala explores ways in which her ceramic sculptures can shed light on pressing environmental issues.

Mahala has exhibited widely within Australia in both group and solo settings. Her work is held in several public collections including City of Townsville Art Collection, Macquarie Group Collection, The ACT Legislative Assembly Art Collection, Castlemaine Art Museum and private collections within Australia and Singapore.

BOARD MEMBER

Meagan is an arts & cultural professional with a focus on marketing and public engagement. She has a passion for supporting artists and designers and has experience in both non-for-profit and government cultural organisations as well as major cultural festivals. In 2016 she graduated with a Master of Arts & Cultural Management and in 2013 with a Bachelor of Design from the University of South Australia.

Meagan has worked for various organisations including the Samstag Museum of Art, Canberra Glassworks, Craft ACT/DESIGN Canberra festival and the National Archives of Australia. Currently she is working for the Department of Parliamentary Services as an Assistant Director in the Parliamentary Engagement Branch.

BOARD MEMBER

Leigh-Hoa is an architect and has been working in the ACT property and construction industry for over 20 years.

Leigh-Hoa has recently stepped back from her professional career as a project manager and looking forward to do other things especially involvement with the Arts.

Leigh-Hoa hopes to be able to contribute back to the Canberra Community in her next endeavours.

BOARD MEMBER

Stephanie led National Opera, Canberra’s professional opera company and worked closely with the inaugural Artistic Director Peter Coleman-Wright AO on all aspects of operations, events and artistic administration for over five years and as President of Canberra Opera for the previous four years.

Stephanie has executive business and government management experience across her career including owning and running three businesses including her own successful human resources and learning consultancy. Stephanie has successfully led business initiatives from new businesses to regenerating and pivoting poor performing business ventures into successful, ongoing opportunities for growth.

As a performing artist herself (she trained as an opera singer), Stephanie understands the needs of developing and emerging artists regardless of their artistic specialty and looks forward to contributing to and implementing CAPO’s vision as a Board member.

BOARD MEMBER

Jeanette is a Canberra-based painter with a fascination with the natural world, effects of colour and light, and the interpretation of form. She is a recent Diploma of Visual Arts graduate from the Canberra Institute of Technology.

Jeanette’s background is in biological science, with internationally and nationally published research on marsupial evolution. She has worked for many years in environmental policy and management, including threatened and invasive species policy, world heritage and wetland management, and wildlife regulation. Her illustrations have been published in international scientific journals, books and magazines, and museum exhibitions.

BOARD MEMBER

BOARD MEMBER

Julie Ryder is a textile designer who has gained international recognition for her work. She has taught in tertiary institutions, community organizations and workshops for nearly 30 years and has been the recipient of many awards, grants, commissions and residencies. Her work is included in the collections of the NGA, NGV, NMA, MAAS, AGSA, BRAG, CSIRO, ANBG, Tamworth Regional Gallery, Megalo Archives, RMIT Archives.

www.julieryder.com.au
IG: @julierydertextiles

BOARD MEMBER

Andrew Sikorski is a photographer and videographer.

Andrew's fine art photographs have been regularly exhibited in galleries in Australia and overseas. During his extensive career Andrew has won numerous awards including ACT Wedding Photographer of the year and the Canberra Critics Circle Award for his exhibition of fine art photos.

Andrew has been a resident at Gorman Arts Centre for many years, and his photos of Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres have documented the centres’ transformation and the journeys of the many residents and independent artists. His photos portrays artists at work, events, workshops and performances, and audiences enjoying art.​