People

Michelle Newton is Interim Executive Director at Artspace, Gadigal Country/Sydney where she has co-commissioned and co-curated significant projects with artists and in partnership with leading international institutions. She has recently written for and co-edited the monographs, Mel O’Callaghan, Centre of the Centre and Taloi Havini, Reclamation. Prior to joining Artspace in 2012, she worked directly with Indigenous-led art centres, Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association, Tiwi Islands (2006–09), and Jirrawun Arts on Gija Country (2009–11), and was Associate Director for private gallery, Grantpirrie, Sydney (2011–12). She is a dedicated advocate for the arts and culture sector and is currently Chair of Cementa, Inc. and on the Board of Create NSW Visual Arts Artform Advisory Board. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours), University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma in Economics, Curtin University.

Contact michelle@artspace.org.au

Katie Dyer has been Senior Curator at Artspace, Sydney since 2024. Prior to this she was Senior Curator Contemporary at the Powerhouse Museum where she helped lead the transformation of the museum through the development of artistic programming anchored in research, collections and contemporary critical practice. Her work there won awards including a national AMaGA award and she was Lead Curator on an Australian Research Council Linkage grant with the University of New South Wales. Katie was the founding Curator and Gallery Manager/Director at the National Art School, Sydney. She has worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney and at the Museum of Modern Art and The Drawing Center in New York. Her research focuses on interdisciplinary and collaborative cultures and creative practice. She has sat on national and international cultural advisory boards and has published widely on contemporary art and curatorial practice including with MIT Press and Routledge. Katie lectures on art practice and theory in Sydney and most recently she was Researcher at the Warburg Institute, University of London, UK.

Contact katie.dyer@artspace.org.au

Talia Linz is Senior Curator at Artspace, Sydney, collaborating on solo and group exhibitions, new commissions, publications and multi-platform projects with contemporary artists across generations. She has worked throughout the arts in performance, radio and publishing, including as the Nick Waterlow OAM Curatorial Fellow at the Biennale of Sydney and assistant editor at Art & Australia. Her writing has been published in monographs, journals and exhibition catalogues for the National Gallery of Australia, MCA, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Kaldor Public Art Projects, Hatje Cantz, and the European Capital of Culture, among others. She was recently one of the curators for rīvus, 23rd Biennale of Sydney, 2022

Contact talia@artspace.org.au

Masha Jayasiri is Communications Manager at Artspace, Sydney. Previously she worked as Sales and Marketing Executive at Saskia Fernando Gallery, Sri Lanka. She has a background in printmaking and has worked for various fashion design studios and working with community groups. She holds a Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Fashion and Textiles and International Studies at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Contact masha@artspace.org.au

Marco Rinaldi is an independent curator, creative producer, Operations and Production Manager at Artspace, Sydney, and Founder/Co-Director of Passage Gallery. At Artspace, his role encompasses the operational management of the organisation, as well as the production of all in-house exhibitions, programs and events, while concurrently producing multiple exhibitions that tour nationally. As a director of Passage, he is commissioning an ongoing series of ambitious installations by a diverse range of artists from across Australia.

Rinaldi has held various other positions, including Creative Director of osmosis, Gallery Curator at Dominik Mersch Gallery, and Curatorial Assistant at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. Across these roles, he has worked with hundreds of artists and presented numerous exhibitions, events, listening experiences, public programs, and installations. Rinaldi holds a Masters of Curating and Cultural Leadership (With Excellence) from UNSW Art & Design and a Bachelor of Interior Design.

Contact marco.rinaldi@artspace.org.au

Sarah Rose is a Gadigal/Sydney based curator and arts worker, and is currently the Associate Curator and Executive Assistant, Artspace, Sydney. In recent years, Rose has collaborated closely with artists to produce over 20 group and solo exhibitions. In 2023, they were identified as a curator to look out for in the ‘Tastemaker’ section of Art Collector Magazine’s ‘50 Things Collectors Should Know’ issue (Jan–Mar 2023), and their curated exhibition ‘In the fibre of her being’ (2021–22), Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, received a 2022 MGNSW IMAGinE Award.  

Rose has previously held positions at the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA), Create NSW, and is currently Coordinator of Contemporary Arts Organisations Australia (CAOA). They are Co-founder and Project Coordinator for ‘More Than Reproduction’, an artist-run printmaking initiative for female-identifying and gender diverse printmakers in Australia. Rose holds a Masters of Curating & Cultural Leadership with Excellence and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction from UNSW Art & Design.  

Contact sarah.rose@artspace.org.au

Sophie Rose is Associate Curator – Programs at Artspace, Gadigal Country/ Sydney. She has contributed to various exhibitions, programs, and publications at MoMA PS1; the Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College; the University of Queensland Art Museum; and the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), where she was Assistant Curator from 2017 to 2022. In 2022, she was awarded the inaugural Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO John Monash Scholarship to support her Master of Arts at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, NY. Alongside her curatorial practice, Sophie has contributed critical and scholarly writing for publications such as Australian and New Zealand Journal of Art, Art Asia Pacific, and Un Magazine, and was the editor of the book of artist interviews, Glot: Four Conversations on Voice. 

Contact sophie.rose@artspace.org.au

Madeleine Martin is Curatorial and Development Assistant at Artspace, Gadigal Country/Sydney. An arts writer, clown, and theatre maker, Martin has performed in and produced independent theatre productions in Australia, France, the UK, and Switzerland. Her writing has been published in arts journals and exhibition catalogues including The National 2021 catalogue and Running Dog. Martin has lectured in cultural studies for NYU Sydney, and recently presented a paper at the 2023 Cultural Studies Association of Australasia Conference at the University of South Australia. Martin holds a Bachelor of Art Theory Honours (First Class) from the University of New South Wales, Sydney (2022), and has undertaken the Master Course at the prestigious École Philippe Gaulier, Étampes, France (2024). She is currently completing her Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communications from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Contact: madeleine.martin@artspace.org.au

Conor Parsons is the Operations and Development Assistant at Artspace, Sydney where he plays a key role in managing day-to-day operations, managing Front of House and supporting development initiatives such as event coordination. He has 10 years of experience in operations and a background in painting, holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the University of New South Wales. Conor looks to bring a creative and strategic approach to his work, ensuring smooth operations while contributing to the long-term sustainability of the organisation.

Contact conor.parsons@artspace.org.au