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Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Australia Council for the Arts

Franchesca Cubillo, a Yanuwa, Larrakia, Bardi, and Wardaman woman from the Northern Territory, boasts 30+ years of museum and art gallery experience. With a Bachelor's in Aboriginal Affairs and Anthropology from the University of Adelaide, she has curated at esteemed institutions like the South Australian Museum, National Museum of Australia, and Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Formerly a senior curator at the National Gallery of Australia, Cubillo is currently the executive director of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts at the Australia Council. She also chairs the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation and co-chairs the National Aboriginal Art Gallery.

Former Director of the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria

Dr Gerard Vaughan AM is an Australian art historian and museum administrator born in Devonport, Tasmania. He studied at the University of Melbourne and later pursued doctoral research at the University of Oxford.

During his 18 years in England, he held various academic positions and served as private secretary to the vice-chancellor of Oxford University. In 1994, he became the inaugural director of the British Museum Development Trust.

He returned to Australia in 1999 as the director and CEO of the National Gallery of Victoria and in 2014 became the director of the National Gallery of Australia until his retirement in 2018.

He is chair of the Australian Institute of Art History and co-chair of the National Reference Group for the National Aboriginal Art Gallery.

Head of First Nations Arts and Culture Australia Council for the Arts

Patricia Adjei is a Wuthathi, Mabuiag Islander, and Ghanaian woman from Warrane/Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts and Law from the University of New South Wales.

She heads First Nations arts and culture at the Australia Council for the Arts, previously working as the Indigenous engagement manager at the Copyright Agency, Viscopy.

A 2018 Churchill Fellowship recipient, she explored Indigenous cultural rights protection in the USA and Panama.

Patricia has developed protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts and has served on various advisory committees and boards, including the City of Sydney, Moogahlin Performing Arts, Beyond Blue, and the National Aboriginal Art Gallery.

Former Director of the Australian Museum

Frank Howarth has had a significant career in the cultural and environmental sectors in New South Wales, with national and international roles in industry bodies.

He was director of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust from 1996 to 2004 and director of the Australian Museum from 2004 to 2014. He was the national president of the Australian Museum and Galleries Association from 2013 to 2017. Since leaving as director of the Australian Museum, he formed his own company and has been engaged in various consulting and other roles.

He holds significant chair and non-executive director roles in a range of culture and heritage organisations, being appointed chair of the New South Wales Government’s Heritage Council as chair. He also sits on the National Aboriginal Art Gallery Reference Group.

Curator, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art National Gallery of Australia

Kelli Cole, a Warumunga and Luritja woman from Central Australia, serves as curator of special projects in the First Nations portfolio at the National Gallery of Australia. Kelli was instrumental in developing the Gallery’s 11 First Nations art galleries and has assisted in delivering 10 of the gallery’s Indigenous Arts Leadership Programs.

Kelli has written on various aspects of First Nations art in numerous publications, including Artonview and Artlink, as well as external catalogues. She was employed as a consultant curator at the National Museum of Australia and curated Unsettled: Stories Within, an exhibition showcasing five leading First Nations artists.

She is currently working on a major retrospective exhibition, the life and art of Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Kelli is a member of the National Aboriginal Art Gallery’s Reference Group.

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Aboriginal Leadership University of Tasmania

Professor Greg Lehman, a descendant of the Trawulwuy people of northeast Tasmania, serves as the pro vice chancellor, Aboriginal Leadership at the University of Tasmania. An award-winning curator and writer, a well-known Tasmanian art historian, he frequently comments on Indigenous identity and place.

In 2017, Lehman led the development of the First Tasmanians, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery's first permanent Indigenous gallery. He co-curated The National Picture: The Art of Tasmania's Black War with Tim Bonyhady, a touring exhibition that received the 2019 Museums and Galleries Australia Award for Travelling Exhibitions.

Lehman was also a member of the National Museum of Australia's Indigenous Reference Group and chaired the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery's Aboriginal Advisory Council. He currently sits on the National Aboriginal Art Gallery Reference Group.

Chairperson for Irlpme Estate Group, and Board Member for the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation

Muriel Williams, an Arrernte woman from Ltyentye Apurte, is a practising artist, dedicated ranger for the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Central Lands Council, and holds leadership roles as chairperson for Irlpme Estate Group and board member for the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation.

Her art showcases her cultural heritage, while her conservation and community development roles demonstrate her commitment to preserving her ancestral lands and uplifting her people. Muriel represents the Irlpme Estate Group within the National Reference Group.

Chairperson for the Mparntwe Estate Group, and Deputy Chairperson for the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation

Benedict Stevens is a Central Arrernte man from Mparntwe, serving as chairperson for the Mparntwe Estate Group, an Aboriginal liaison officer in the Department of Health's Aboriginal Support Services unit, and deputy chairperson for the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation.

Benedict represents the Mpartnwe Estate Group within the National Reference Group.

Chairperson of the Antulye Estate Group and a Director of the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation

Vicki Lidner serves as chairperson of the Antulye Estate Group and as a director of Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation, driving socio-economic progress and community empowerment. Vicki represents the Antulye Estate Group within the National Reference Group.

CEO Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia

Chad Creighton, a Bardi and Nyul Nyul man from Western Australia's Kimberley region, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Western Australia and a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Heritage Studies from Curtin University.

Creighton has been the CEO of the Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia since 2018 and was previously the Native Title unit region manager West Kimberley for the Kimberley Land Council. He was responsible for the consultation and development of the Desert River Sea Project delivered by the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

Creighton sits on the boards of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation, Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip Aboriginal Advisory Committee, Indigenous Art Code Board and Revealed Aboriginal Advisory Committee, as well as the National Aboriginal Art Gallery Reference Group.

Art Centre Manager Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre

Joann Russo, a Kuku Yalanji woman from North Queensland, is the first Aboriginal woman appointed as manager of the Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre in Cardwell.  Covering 250,000 square kilometres, the centre represents nine Traditional Owner groups with multi-award-winning artists and designers.

She's a product of the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program, transitioning from an arts worker to a leader. She has completed the National Gallery of Australia's Indigenous Arts Leadership and Fellowship Program and advocates for Indigenous voices and culture.

Joann serves as a director on the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair Foundation Board, president of IACA, and a member of the National Aboriginal Art Gallery Reference Group.