OUR BOARD
ADAM FORD
Adam Ford is a Nyoongar curator, writer, and researcher whose Menang/Goreng lineage is drawn through the Keen(/Knapp) and Farmer(/Coyne) families. Though connected to the Great Southern region of Western Australia, Adam was born and raised in Magandjin/Brisbane. He is currently Associate Curator, First Nations Art and the National Gallery of Australia. Adam has held professional positions across state, university, independent, and commercial institutions and regularly contributes to Australian arts publications. He has worked previously as Assistant Curator, Indigenous Australian Art, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art; Curatorial Research Assistant, Blaklash; Public Programs Assistant, Institute of Modern Art; and was a 2021 Kinnane Endowment Fund Intern (Curation/Registration/Engagement) at the University of Queensland Art Museum.
WARATAH LAHY
Co-Chair Person
Waratah is a Canberra-based artist, with a Doctorate of Philosophy (Visual Arts) from the Australian National University (ANU). Over the past 25 years Waratah has exhibited widely, undertaken artist residencies and has had work acquired for public and private collections. Waratah is an experienced arts worker, currently working as the Exhibitions Coordinator at Craft + Design Canberra. Amongst other roles, She worked at the ANU School of Art & Design as a casual lecturer in drawing and painting for over 15 years. Waratah re-joined the Canberra Contemporary Board in 2023, having previously served on the board in the early 2000s, and brings to the role considerable industry-specific knowledge and networks, communications expertise, and previous board, committee, and patron and sponsorship management experience.
COLLEEN KELLY
Treasurer
Colleen is a Certified Practising Accountant with over 25-years’ experience working in public practice accounting firms providing taxation and business advice to clients in a range of sectors. As a Senior Manager at MGI Joyce Dickson, Colleen assists small to medium businesses to achieve their business and financial objectives. Colleen joined the Board in 2023, and brings to the Treasurer role considerable financial expertise as well as not-for-profit governance and committee experience.
EMMA RANI HODGES
Emma Rani Hodges’s practice explores community building, migration and multiethnic identity. They do this through mixed media textile installations, performance and storytelling. They use ambiguous materiality to examine social boundaries, and to explore feelings of ‘otherness’. Hodges exhibits regularly both locally and nationally. In 2024 they ran a community based workshop and performed at the Biennale of Sydney 10,000 Suns and was a keynote speaker at Art After Hours for Accessible Arts hosted by the Art Gallery of NSW. Currently Hodges works at the National Gallery of Australia as a Lead Artist Educator and at The Messenger’s program as an art tutor for youth experiencing social isolation and poor mental health.
ADAM PEPPINCK
Secretary
Adam is a solicitor with strong legal, governance, business development, and management experience. He is a partner at Clayton Utz (in the firm's Canberra real estate team) and has over 20 years' experience advising both public and private sector clients in relation to the purchase, sale, development, and leasing of real property. Adam is the Chair of the ACT Law Society’s Property Law Committee and is an elected Councillor of the ACT Law Society Council. Adam has served on the Canberra Contemporary Board since 2017, including since 2022 as Secretary.
MEAGAN JONES
Meagan is a dedicated arts and cultural professional with a background in program and project management. Passionate about supporting artists and designers, she brings experience across not-for-profit and government cultural organisations, as well as major arts festivals. Her expertise spans event delivery, programming, marketing, sponsorship, and audience engagement. In Canberra, she has worked with institutions such as Canberra Glassworks, Craft ACT, and Australian Parliament House.
Meagan holds a Master of Arts and Cultural Management (2016) and a Bachelor of Design (2013) from the University of South Australia. She is currently in a Project Manager role at the National Gallery of Australia, working in the Capital Works Team to lead the delivery of strategic, architectural and engineering projects.
VICTORIA KUNG
Co-Chair Person
Victoria Kung is an early-career arts professional who has worked at the ANU for the last five years in business development. She has deep knowledge and experience with membership organisations from her time at the Australia-China Business Council in Sydney, where she worked directly with the CEO and the Board to manage membership retention and growth as well as have strategic oversight of the organization. She has also worked directly with the Director of the Centre for Asian Australian Leadership at ANU to build the inaugural William Ah-Ket Program, the first-ever leadership program for Chinese Australians. Victoria is currently studying a MA in Art History and Curatorship from the ANU. She is extremely passionate about people, problem-solving, program design and management as well as building strategic initiatives that have lasting impact.
PAUL MAGEE
Paul studied in Melbourne, Moscow, San Salvador and Sydney. He is Professor of Poetry at the University of Canberra, where he directs one of the university’s eleven dedicated research centres, the Centre for Creative and Cultural Research (CCCR). Paul has received Potter Foundation, Arts Victoria, artsACT and Australia Council funding for his poetry, as well as securing Australian Research Council and Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK) grants for his research into poetic judgement and cross-cultural poetics. He brings to the board strategic planning, management, and communications experience, as well as cross-artform industry-specific knowledge.