Significant Appointments at Arts Centre Melbourne
Karen Quinlan AM
Respected curator, arts administrator and former National Portrait Gallery CEO Karen Quinlan AM was appointed Arts Centre Melbourne’s new Chief Executive Officer in October this year. Quinlan brings a wealth of senior experience to the role, having held leadership positions at some of Australia’s most revered creative organisations. She is most recognised for her transformative role as Director of Bendigo Art Gallery from 2000 until 2018, working with international cultural institutions to bring blockbuster exhibitions to regional Victoria, driving cultural tourism and the visitor economy. Over the past four years, Quinlan has steered the National Portrait Gallery through a period of change and ambition, and as a result the gallery has markedly extended its reach and profile nationally. Quinlan was awarded an Order of Australia medal in 2019 for Services to the Arts.
“Arts Centre Melbourne is a cultural institution of global significance and is a place that connects performers, artists, makers and presenters. The transformation of the Melbourne Arts Precinct will redefine our experience, engage new audiences and inspire generations to come,” she said.
Karen Quinlan AM. Photo credit: Mark Mohell, National Portrait Gallery
Jeff Khan
Curator, Artistic Director and writer Jeff Khan has been appointed new Creative Director of Asia TOPA: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts. Previously the Artistic Director and CEO of Performance Space, Khan is an experienced arts leader. He is recognised for creating innovative artistic programmes across diverse contemporary artforms including performance, visual art, dance and new media.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff Khan as the new Creative Director of Asia TOPA. His arts leadership, reputation and passion for contemporary Asia-Pacific arts make him a perfect fit to lead this innovative and imaginative festival that has achieved so much since it launched in 2017,’’ said Arts Centre Melbourne Executive Director, Performing Arts Melanie Smith.
For more than a decade at Performance Space, Khan oversaw the development and delivery of the annual Liveworks Festival of Experimental Art and programmes that situates Australian practice in an Asia-Pacific context. Prior to Performance Space, he was the Artistic Director of Melbourne’s Next Wave Festival from 2007-2010, Guest Curator of NEW12 (Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, 2012) and Primavera 09 (Museum of Contemporary Art, 2009). He has also held roles and guest curatorships at the Fusebox Festival (Texas), RISING, Gertrude Contemporary, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, John Curtin Gallery, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York).
Jeff Khan. Photo credit: Liz Ham.