ACCA Announces Two New Curatorial Appointments

The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art has announced two new curatorial appointments, with Shelley McSpedden as Senior Curator and Elyse Goldfinch as Curator, Public Programs and Publications. They join ACCA’s Artistic Director and CEO Max Delany, and Yalingwa Curator Jessica Clark (Palawa), to make up ACCA’s curatorial team.

Shelley previously held the role as Senior Curator and Acting Artistic Director at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM), where she worked closely with the Director and Board on the strategic plan and transition into SAM’s new purpose-built building and was co-curator with Belinda Briggs of the inaugural exhibition Lin Onus: The Land Within. Shelley has also held curatorial roles at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Monash University Museum of Art (MUMA) and National Exhibitions Touring Support (NETS). Along with academic appointments at Monash University in the Art History and Theory Program. She has written extensively on contemporary art and edited art publications and monographs.

‘I am thrilled to be taking up the role of Senior Curator at ACCA. I have long admired ACCA’s agenda-setting artistic program and commitment to critical dialogues on contemporary practice and the wider world. I am looking forward to working with the talented ACCA team to create bold and inspiring exhibitions and programs that support living artists, foster knowledge exchange, and increase access to contemporary art’, she said.

Elyse Goldfinch has previously held the position of Associate Curator at Artspace, Sydney, over the past five years where she has contributed to a dynamic program of Australian and international projects and residencies. Most recently, she was on the curatorial team which presented Marco Fusinato’s DESASTRES for the Australian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, and Associate Editor of the accompanying publication. Elyse is co-Chair and on the Board of Directors of the artist-run-initiative Firstdraft in Sydney and has held previous roles at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, as well as writing for a range of publications including Ocula, Un Magazine and Art + Australia.

Elyse said: ‘I am honoured to be joining the ACCA team as Curator, Public Programs & Publications. Relocating from Gadigal Country/Sydney to take up this new role, I am excited to develop deeper understanding and research of artistic practice in Naarm/Melbourne. I look forward to contributing to ACCA’s rich artistic program, and amplifying the voices, stories and ideas of contemporary artists’.