DIRECTORS

Marita Barker - Kanpi, APY Land, SA

Marita is respected a Pitjantjataja Yankantjara artist, born in the bush near Kaltjiti community nestled in the rolling sand dune country south of the Mann Ranges / Musgrave Ranges. Her father Jimmy Baker from Kanpi, and her mother’s country is a sacred place to the south of Watarru.

Marita worked for many years at Kaltjiti Arts in Fregon where she was a much-valued director, artist and chairperson. She moved to Kanpi the place of the Kalaya Tjukurpa, and her ancestral homelands.

Known for her strong leadership and can-do approach, Marita was board member for Ku Arts in 2008 and recently re-joined the Ku Arts board as a Director.

Marita Baker
Kanpi, APY Lands

Carlene Thompson - Ernabella Arts, Pukatja, APY Lands, SA

Carlene Thomson is a senior artist at Ernabella Arts. Carlene started painting at Ernabella in 2007 and quickly developed a very individual style. In 2009 Carlene began to concentrate on ceramics. Her work is contemporary while being based on Country and the creation being of her family's country, the kalaya (emu).

Carlene is a strong participant in women's ceremony and is passing this knowledge down to her daughters.

Carlene Thompson Ernabella Arts

Sherrie Jones - Arts Ceduna, Ceduna, SA

Sherrie Jones Arts Ceduna

Maureen Williams - Coober Pedy, SA

Maureen Williams is a Yankunytjatjara woman has had a long career working for organisations and government agencies across education, health and welfare and has always advocated on behalf of Aboriginal people. Maureen has held positions on national committees for several organisations and travelled overseas to represent Aboriginal artists from the APY Lands.

Maureen lived in Fregon in the late 1990’s when she became active at Kaltjiti Arts and joined the Board there. She later joined the Desart Board and served as Chair in 2000-2001. Since moving back to Coober Pedy, she has become a teacher and mentor in art making within her extended family where she encourages her daughters, nieces and parents to paint. Maureen continues to serve her community as a member of Umoona Community Council, Chair of Umoona Aged Care, Chair of the Breakaways Board at Coober Pedy District Council and on the Native Title body for the Coober Pedy area.

MAUREEN WILLIAMS
COOBER PEDY, SA

Lavene Ngatokorua - Davenport, Port Augusta, SA

Lavene Ngatokorua is a Wangkangurru, Adnyamathanha, Kuyani and Luritja woman from Davenport; an Aboriginal community located near Port
Augusta. Lavene is the CEO and Youth and Children’s Coordinator of Davenport community. Lavene took on the demanding voluntary role of CEO after the community lost Government funding in 2014.

Lavene has been involved in native title as a community member and observer, attending meetings and native title hearings for the Adnyamathanha people. She continues to contribute to the native title process for her people and all native title groups of SA through her involvement on the South Australian Native Title Services Board. An activist and an artist, Lavene has honed her technical and storytelling ability through the photographic medium producing striking, evocative images which speak of connection to country and personal histories.

Lavene Ngatokorua is the current director member of the Ku Arts Finance and Audit Committee.

Lavene Ngatokorua Davenport, Port Augusta

Dana Shen - Independent Director

With many years in the public sector at an executive level and then moving to the not-for-profit sector in senior leadership positions, Ngarrindjeri woman Dana Shen has extensive experience in leading, recruiting and managing staff, defining and managing budgets, and complex problem solving. She has also been a board director for a not-for-profit in the disability sector (Lighthouse Disability), supporting their transition from block- based funding to consumer centred funding.

Dana Shen has held positions with The Australian Centre for Social Innovation’s (TACSI) social innovation team, where she was Director of the TACSI initiative Family by Family, a community-based support organisation for and by Aboriginal families. She was Director and Executive Director in South Australia’s Health system involved in leading the development of the health systems’ response to supporting early childhood development. Dana Shen is a passionate advocate for contributing to the reduction of domestic and family violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities and building Indigenous businesses.

Dana Shen
(Independent Director)

Josephine Mick - Pipalyatjara Community, APY Lands

Josephine Mick was born at Puta Puta in the Pitjantjatjara Lands. Josephine began painting as a young woman, before there were any art centres in the west. She is a respected Ngankari (traditional healer) with an extensive knowledge of bush medicines, and is acknowledged for her work across two cultures, as a senior custodian of tjukurpa and as an advocate for her people. Josephine was the founding Director of NPY Women’s Council in 1982. Among many roles, Josephine was the Anangu supervisor for the Arts in Health doctoral study on the benefits of art centres to community by researcher Maree Meredith, supported by Ku Arts.

JOSEPHINE MICK
PIPALYATJAR, APY LANDS

STAFF

Alison Milyika Carroll - Anangu Mayatja

Alison Milyika (Tjulapi) Carroll is a Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara artist and leader from Pukatja Community, APY Lands. Her career in the arts spans over four decades. She is the Aṉangu Mayatja (Director) of Ku Arts, a position she has held since 2007. In this role Alison has been a strong advocate for her community and the APY region and has contributed greatly to the strength of the art centres as we know them today. She also offers important cross-cultural guidance and perspective to Ku Arts staff and directors. She is currently the Chair of Ernabella Arts, Australia's oldest art centre, established in 1948. As an artist, Alison's work across multiple mediums reflects her identity as a contemporary and senior Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara woman, and is held in collections nationally and internationally. Alison relishes in her role as a teacher to emerging artists and cultural leaders. She actively develops and advocates for opportunities for young people in her community, so that they remain connected to culture and ensure the strength and pride of their identity and their art centre for years to come.

Alison Milyika Carroll Anangu Mayatja

Melissa Juhanson - CEO

Melissa has an extensive experience in the arts sector having managed government grant and investment programs for the South Australian Film Corporation and Arts South Australia. She has held senior roles in securing and managing funding at SAFC for high-profile feature films, television dramas and broadcast documentaries and as Cultural Heritage Manager at Arts SA.

Early in her career, Melissa directed and produced documentaries for CAAMA, ABC TV, and SBS TV, and her films have screened at festivals internationally including Venice Film Festival. She has lectured in Broadcast Journalism at Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education in the Northern Territory and worked as a producer in video and radio for the Warlpiri Media Organisation in Yuendumu (PAW Media) in the NT facilitating the production of ‘in language’ content.

Melissa’s most recent roles have been as Operations Manager for the Australian Network for Arts and Technology and as the General Manager at Genealogy SA a not-for-profit membership organisation, the largest society of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

Melissa juhanson
Chief Executive Officer

Melanie Henderson - Arts Program Producer

Melanie is an experienced arts manager with over 12 years’ experience delivering creative and skills development workshops with Aboriginal artists and communities. She was the Manager of Bindi Inc., Alice Springs, and Tjungu Palya Arts, APY Lands, as well as managing community arts, social enterprise and community development projects throughout regional and remote Northern Territory and Western Australia.

As Arts Program Producer for Ku Arts, she has supported Aboriginal artists in regional SA communities to realise their artistic aspirations; such as through enterprise development with Dunjiba Designs, Oodnadatta, painting studio workshops in Coober Pedy and overseeing major development projects with artists from Arts Ceduna for Tarnanthi 2019 and Arabana artists for Arabana Songlines during Tarnanthi 2021.

MELANIE HENDERSON
Arts Program producer

Nina Haigh - Art Centre Program Manager

Nina is an experienced arts professional with over seven years of involvement in the Arts Sector working in remote Northern Territory. Recognised for her effective Art centre management, adept cross-cultural communication skills, and dedication to creative development, Nina has been privileged to contribute to the field.  

Throughout her career, Nina prioritises her passion of celebrating arts and culture through varied multi-faceted projects, with a particular fondness for fibre art.

As Art Centre Program Manager at Ku Arts, Nina brings a wealth of experience to support South Australian art centres. Her role involves developing resources and training programs tailored specifically for art centres, ensuring direct delivery and assistance to meet their needs. 

NINA HAIGH
ART CENTRE PROGRAM manager

Pearl Berry - Arts Administration Coordinator

Pearl is a proud Yankunytjatjara woman who grew up on Kaurna Country (Adelaide).

Throughout her career Pearl has worked in various office administration roles, and she was delighted to join the Ku Arts team in 2021.

Pearl is passionate about supporting community and looks forward to being able to assist in creating opportunities for Aboriginal artists, both established and emerging.

Pearl is a keen writer, filmmaker and painter and is always looking to create in her spare time.

PEARL BERRY
ARTS ADMINISTRATION COORDINATOR

Lisa Phillips - Arts Program Manager

Lisa has a background in visual and textile arts and art centre studio management, Lisa, as Ku Arts, Arts Program Manager, supports professional and creative skills development opportunities for South Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and arts workers across all stages of their careers.

lisa phillips
ARTS program manager