promoting, facilitating, educating and advocating for arts and cultural development for the communities of the Central West NSW.

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The 2008-2009 Arts OutWest Board directors are:

Right (front, L-R): Jane Bennie, Wendy Carlson, Lyn Cole, Clr Barbara Newton (back, L-R) Brandon Wilson, Janice McGilchrist , Pamela Heikkinen, Heather Blackley, Bob Craven, Clr Neil Manson, Fiona Ferguson. Not present: Annabel Scholes, Paul Anderson, Jason Lowe, Christine Parker, Robert Pearce Photo : Tim Kelly

The 2008-2009 Arts OutWest Inc Board of Directors

Jane Bennie (Forbes LGA)

Jane is a partner in a farming business established in the Forbes district 6 years ago. Being a strong advocate of local cultural activities involving all sections of the Community is currently the coordinator of The Forbes Arts and Culture Working Group. After attaining an Associate Diploma in Fine Arts at Kogarah TAFE in the 90's Jane has focused on printmaking and photography. Jane has been on the Board since 2007.

Heather Blackley ( Lachlan LGA)

Lachlan electorate Woman of the Year (2005) Heather Blackley is chairperson of Lachlan Arts Council and has a strong commitment to the maintenance and development of art and cultural activities in the shire. Heather also works with Western Plains Regional Development and is responsible for several projects involving Aboriginal art and culture as well as more general areas of employment. Heather lives in Condobolin with her husband and 2 children. In 2008 Heather won the inaugural Regional Arts Australia Award for Vulunteer of the Year (NSW). Heather has been nominated representative for Lachlan Shire Council since 1991.

Wendy Carlson (cultural consultant)

Wendy Carlson is an art & heritage consultant, working for government agencies, local councils and private organisations. Her work centres around making history accessible to the general public through interpreting heritage buildings and sites, and the objects associated with them. Wendy is currently Museum Advisor to Goulburn/Mulwaree Council and is a member of the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre and Library Advisory Committee. Wendy has been on the Board since 2007.

Lyn Cole (Midwestern Regional LGA) Regional Arts NSW Board Member

Lyn is gallery director/ owner of Cudgegong Gallery at Gulgong. She is also a committee member on the Mid-Western Regional Council’s Cultural Planning Committee. Lyn lives on a 3000 acre sheep grazing property with her husband. Lyn cares passionately about raising appreciation and awareness of artists who live in our region and is always strongly involved in lobbying council to share this passion. Lyn has been on the Board since 2007.

Bob Craven (Canowindra Art Network) - Secretary

Bob is a founding member of the Canowindra Art Network and is co-owner, with wife Margaret , of The Bewilderness Leatherworks range of wearable art accessories, marketed to inbound international tourists and exported to the USA . In 2005 Bob and Margaret established ‘Taste Canowindra’ a regional wine, food and art outlet which hosts regular music and wine tasting events. This is Bob’s fourth term on the Board.

Fiona Ferguson (Cabonne LGA)

Fiona is currently the Manager of the Age of Fishes Museum in Canowindra.  Fiona's background is business and tourism coupled with a personal love for the arts. She is keen to support arts programmes and further promote arts awareness, support and programs for regional NSW.  Fiona has been on the Board since 2007.

Brian Langer (Cowra LGA)

Brian Langer has been Director of the Cowra Regional Art Gallery since May 2008. He has over 17 years experience working as an arts and exhibition manager, curator and 10 years experience as a regional gallery director. Brian was the Artistic Director of the Australian International Video Festival from 1988 to 1992 and Executive Director of Electronic Media Arts (Australia) Ltd from 1990 to 1992. From 1989 to 1998 he also curated many exhibitions of Australian video art for media arts festivals in the UK, France and Germany. From 1996 to 1998 he was consultant and curator to the Queensland Art Gallery to establish an Australian and international collection of video art. He was Director of the Manning Regional Gallery from 1996-1998 and Director of the Tamworth Regional Gallery and Tamworth Powerstation Museum from 1998 to 2006. During this period he also managed the exhibition and national tour of the Tamworth Fibre Textile Biennial, Australia’s most prestigious National exhibition for contemporary textiles. From mid 2002 he was part of the planning team to build a new state-of- the-art Gallery and Library complex in Tamworth which opened in December 2004. He has a BA Degree in Visual Arts and Post Graduate qualifications in Sculpture and Gallery Management. . Brian has been on the Board since mid-2008.

Suzanne Lollback (Lithgow LGA)

Jason Lowe (Orange LGA)

Janice McGilchrist (Bathurst LGA) - Vice-Chair

Janice McGilchrist is the Mornings Presenter on ABC Central West local radio. She was a former Council lor on Bathurst Regional Council and is still an active member of a number of cultural community organisations. Her particular area of interest is in seeing cultural development firmly aligned with ongoing social and economic development throughout regional communities. This will be Janice’s fourth term on the board.

Christine Parker (Oberon LGA)

Christine lives in Oberon and is on the Oberon Arts Council, sharing a love of the arts and community cultural activities. Christine joined the Board in mid 2007 to represent the Oberon local government area.

Robert Pearce (Canowindra. Representing general membership) – Treasurer

Rob Pearce is a part timer: part time Chartered Accountant, part time farmer & grazier, and part time retiree. Most of his full time career was spent with the specialist tax practice of Price Waterhouse (as it then was) in Sydney. When the youngest of his 3 children finished school in 1996, he saw the need for a tree change, retired from Price Waterhouse, formed Sound Financial Advisory Services Pty Limited, bought 900 acre mixed farm near Canowindra, moved from Manly to Canowindra to become a farmer & grazier but found it financially impractical to wholly retire from accounting, particularly during the drought years. From 2004 to 2006, Rob was also a part time lecturer at the Orange campus of Charles Sturt University. Rob’s interests include music, sailing and gardening. Robert joined the Board in April 2008.

Annabel Scholes (Charles Sturt University)

Annabel is a lecturer in the School of Communication at CSU and holds an MA in Theatre Studies from UNSW, a BA in Theatre/Media from Charles Sturt University and a Diploma of Education. Annabel graduated from the NIDA Directing Course in 2000. Annabel’s directing credits include: Jennifer Compton’s The Big Picture for the New Theatre, Newtown , The Stars Come Out for Sydney ’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, Brad Fraser’s Wolfboy and Unidentified Human RemainsAnd the True Nature of Love, Cho Cho San by Daniel Keene and Glory by Steve J Spears. Annabel has worked as Assistant Director to John Clark on Romeo and Juliet for NIDA, Alex Harding’s Only Heaven Knows for New Theatre and Buchner’s Woyzeck for CSU. In 2002 Annabel was Assistant Director to Gale Edwards on the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of David Williamson’s Soulmates. And in June 2003 took up the position of Resident Director on Disney’s The Lion King. 2004 directed the CSU production of Macbeth and in 2007 Medea. Annabel has been on the Board since 2006.

Brandon Wilson (Wellington LGA) - Chair

Brandon Wilson is a past president and currently an active member of Wellington Amateur Theatrical Society and an active member of Stray Notes, Wellington’s a' capella and performance choir. He is also past President of the Rotary Club of Wellington and deputy chair of the Wellington Health Council and a past executive member of the Tasmanian Olympic Council. Professionally, he was the director of sales and public relations for Intercontinental Hotels and the manager for NSW, QLD and the ACT of Flag Inns and has a long history of involvement in regional economic development. Brandon believes the arts are an important ingredient in the melding of a socially and intellectually balanced community and needs to be encouraged on both a local and regional level. Brandon has been nominated to represent Wellington Council . This will be Brandon’s fourth term on the Board.

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