SUSAN COCHRANE- WRAPT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Susan Cochrane (b.1949) is an artistic director, art writer and consultant. From 1975-1980 she worked in the fashion industry in advertising and event management. Following the success of ‘Weave Wool into Your Life’ for Mark Foys she was appointed the Executive Officer of the Crafts Council of NSW, managing the transition to Crafts Australia Gallery at The Rocks. In the period 1984 – 2012 she pursued an academic career, returning to the influence of her childhood in Papua New Guinea to develop her research interests and curatorial expertise in the field of contemporary Pacific art and the representation of indigenous Pacific cultures in museums. In 1995 Susan was invited to be the foundation curator of the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, New Caledonia, and Head of the Department of Kanak and Pacific Art (1995-98). In this role she established their major collection of contemporary Pacific art. Other major curatorial achievements as Guest Curator include the Queensland Art Gallery’s Asia Pacific Triennial (1996 and 1999), Shrines for the Next Millennium for the Sydney Olympics Arts Festival (2000), Across Oceans and Time for the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Taiwan (2006-07), Pacific artists for Floating Land-Rising Sea for Noosa Regional Gallery, Sepik Art for the River Project at Campbelltown Art Centre (2010). As well as her long engagement with the art and artists of the Pacific region, Susan has held positions of Art Centre Manager for remote Aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land and the East Kimberley. Susan has published extensively on contemporary Pacific art and Aboriginal art. Since moving to the Blue Mountains in 2013 Susan has developed links with the local artistic community. The charismatic atmosphere of the Woodford Academy inspired her concept of the large-scale fantasy art event, WRAPT.
CATERINA LEONE- ASSISTANT CURATOR
Caterina Leone is a freelance writer, editor and artist based in the Blue Mountains, NSW. She graduated from the National Art School in 2010, with a BFA in Ceramics. Her articles have been published in numerous magazines, newspapers and catalogues, including The Journal of Australian Ceramics, for which publication she also served as Guest Editor for the ‘Emerging’ issue of July 2014. Last year she organised and curated the first art show at the annual Cruelty Free Festival in Sydney, a role she has reprised this year. Caterina also works as an editor and proofreader, and is currently undertaking an apprenticeship in silversmithing.
caterinaleone.com
WRAPT 