Our people

The Art Museum of Kangaroo Island Ltd is a not-for-profit company set up on behalf of the community of Kangaroo Island to build and operate a regional art gallery on Kangaroo Island. Its constitution includes the provision that at least one director must be a resident of Kangaroo Island.

Art Museum of Kangaroo Island Ltd directors

Rob Brookman is a leading figure on Australia’s arts scene, having held leadership positions at festivals and performing arts organisations including the Adelaide Festival (Artistic Director, Executive Director), Adelaide Festival Centre (Producer, Artistic Director), National Festival of Australian Theatre (Artistic Director), New Zealand International Festival of Arts (Artistic Director), Sydney Theatre Company (General Manager) and State Theatre Company South Australia (Executive Director). In 1992 he co-founded Australia’s leading music festival WOMADelaide and remained as Artistic Director for 15 years.

Rob continues to work freelance through his own consultancy Sweet Reason Pty Ltd while undertaking a range of pro bono roles at the WOMADelaide Foundation, UKARIA Cultural Centre (chair) and The Adelaide Parklands Authority. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide, and in 2017, the Ruby Award for Lifetime Achievement and Helpmann Awards’ Sue Nattrass Award for exceptional service to the Australian live performance industry.

Rob brings to AMKI high level experience in fundraising, financial and organisational management, government relations, governance and artistic programming.

Kathie Stove was one of the originators of the AMKI project in 2017 and has pursued it doggedly since. Now (almost) retired, Kathie ran her own business as a writer, editor and trainer for 25 years, which included work on many major government documents such as state budgets, state of the environment reports, and royal commissions. She has also written and edited many arts-focused works and wrote the monthly arts page for The Islander for seven years, 2007–2013 through which she gained a thorough knowledge of the island’s strong arts community, which is based in solid community support and has an ever-growing number of professional artists. She published Artists of the Art Part – profiles of 27 island artists in 2014. Kathie received a Premier’s Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of outstanding volunteer service, 2011, and Community Individual Award, Hills and Coasts, SA Regional Awards, 2012.

Sue brings vision, influence, energy and deep experience to a wide portfolio of regional partnerships and projects. These collaborative initiatives have established and sustained transformative work across South Australia, including Kangaroo Island. Sue has the ability to sense out and shape opportunity with leaders, organisations and networks as situations develop. She is someone who can identify adaptations and interventions to innovate from a place of challenge, broadly sharing benefits with people on the ground and well into the future. Sue is empathetic and inclusive in her ways of working and balances this with business savviness as a partner in progressive economic development. Her background in the arts and advocacy fits in with commercial acumen that makes Sue an invaluable collaborative partner for anyone with a passion to make a lasting difference.

Rosey is a lawyer with over 30 years’ experience in commercial and corporate law. For the last 18 years she has been a regular facilitator for the Australian Institute of Company Directors in the iconic Company Directors Course. Rosey began her directorship career in her early twenties on not-for-personal-profit boards and then rapidly expanded her experience to government and private enterprise. In recent years she has concentrated on her interest in governance work and her board experience includes roles as chair and on an ASX listed company. Rosey has experience across many sectors including, health, retail, manufacturing, transport, education and the arts.

Stuart has served as a professional company director for over 10 years where he is focused on asset management, project delivery and business improvement through better project management, increased data analytics and the introduction of accurate and timely reporting and controls. Prior to this, he had a successful executive management career, both in Australia and overseas in transport, energy and resource infrastructure as the global COO of Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Stuart has held chair and non-executive director roles in the infrastructure, planning, energy and resources sectors. He is currently the Chair of Nukon Pty Ltd, and a non-executive director of the Sage Group, Epic Energy SA Pty Ltd and Energy Resources of Australia, a member of the Rio Tinto Group. Stuart is a graduate of Murdoch University and Columbia Business School (USA) and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

With a career of some 40 years in culture, cultural entrepreneurship, small business and public administration, Greg brings extensive governance and culture change experience to the role of AMKI Board Director. As the SA Government’s principal cultural development leader for over a decade, and the last seven years as CEO with the History Trust of South Australia, plus two periods of service as an elected member with the City of Adelaide, Greg brings an understanding of government and the complex interplay between the tiers of agency – and those of influence.

Melinda has extensive experience managing arts and cultural facilities in South Australia. As Director of Fabrik Arts + Heritage, Melinda is leading the development of an innovative regional centre for arts and culture in a state-heritage listed precinct.

Melinda spent seven years as Director of the Murray Bridge Regional Gallery, and five years as Director of the Hahndorf Academy, hosting exhibitions from national and state collecting institutions and working with leading South Australian artists Melinda has played a leadership role in the state’s regional gallery and museum sector, with involvement in the executive of Regional Galleries Association of SA, and Australian Museums and Galleries Association (SA Branch).

Craig is an enthusiastic member of the Kangaroo Island community interested in wildlife, conservation, arts, local produce and community development. He operates a family business in tourism with a mission to connect travellers to the best elements of our island home. The business offers experiences for small groups that combine good food and wine, sustainable wildlife encounters and community interaction. Craig has served on many boards, including the South Australian Tourism Commission, Regional Development Australia, Kangaroo Island Council, KI Natural Resources Management Board and SA Regional Communities Consultative Council; he is currently chair the not-for-profit group Australian Wildlife Journeys.

Project coordinator

Project founders

This project would not have started and progressed without the vision and hard work of the founding committee: Kathie Stove and artists Janine Mackintosh, Ria Byass and Deb Sleeman, who steered AMKI’s progress until 2022, and subsequently Kathie Stove, Deb Sleeman, Jess Mensforth and Jill Brooks.

The committee welcomed advice from Lauren Mustillo, Visual Arts Program Manager at Country Arts SA and Maudie Palmer AO, founding director and curator of Heide Park and Art Gallery 1981–1996 (now Heide Museum of Modern Art), and TarraWarra Museum of Art 2000–2009. Current AMKI directors Rob Brookman and Sue Arlidge were also advisers to the committee over several years.

Many Kangaroo Islanders and others have been a great source of knowledge and support over the years since the project began. Thank you all.

Donors to the initial crowdfunding campaign are all named here. Many others have since contributed through donations or contributions to fundraising events and projects.

Contact the board

PO Box 648 Penneshaw 5222
artmuseumkangarooisland@gmail.com
https://artmuseumkangarooisland.org
Instagram: @artmuseumkangarooisland

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