Key people
MAREE DI PASQUALE
CEO & Fair Director
Maree Di Pasquale has held cultural leadership positions across greater Asia and is credited with successfully repositioning and relaunching Melbourne Art Fair in the Melbourne Arts Precinct as a leading showcase for the Australasian contemporary art market. Di Pasquale was Director of Strategic Partnerships at MCB Visit Victoria (2016-2017) and a member of the leadership team for Art Fairs Australia (2010-2016), where she played a pivotal role in revitalising projects and developing ventures in new markets, most notably as founding Director of Art Central Hong Kong (2014-2016) and Assistant Director of Sydney Contemporary (2013 / 2015) and Melbourne Art Fair (2014). During her time in the United Arab Emirates, Di Pasquale managed exhibitor relations and delivered public programs for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Art Fair and the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, the latter in partnership with global teams for the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum (2009-2010).
Di Pasquale holds a BA Visual Arts (Creative Industries) from QUT, and a MA in Marketing from Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne. She has held numerous cultural board and committee appointments and is a current board member for 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (2017-present).
MAREE@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
ESTHER LAWLER
GENERAL MANAGER
Esther Lawler is a small business strategist turned arts manager who works with galleries, not-for-profits and artists to pass on her knowledge, passion and experience in both the art and business worlds, not only to those with a long-held passion for the arts, but to those fostering an interest. She has previously lent her talents to Sullivan+Strumpf where she was gallery manager for 3 years, driving their art fair strategy and participation in Australia and the region. Prior to her entry into the artworld, Esther worked in the MedTech start-up space, bringing her commercial skills and entrepreneurial spirit to her role with MAF.
Esther holds an MA in Art Curatorship from The University of Melbourne and a PGDip Art History and Theory alongside a BCApSc from The University of Otago.
ESTHER@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
MARY WENHOLZ
DIRECTOR, EVENTS & OPERATIONS
Mary Wenholz has a background in gallery management and the delivery of arts festivals and fairs. Mary has been involved in the successful delivery of seven editions of Sydney Contemporary (2015-2022) including two digital iterations (2020 and 2021), in addition to contributing to fairs internationally including Art Central Hong Kong (2014, 2015, and 2017), Art16 London (2016), and the Melbourne Art Fair (2014). As Event Manager, Mary delivered a city-wide program for Art Month Sydney (2016 and 2017). Prior to this Mary was Associate Director at Gallery Barry Keldoulis for 5 years, a key role involving liaising with artists and collectors, and managing the gallery’s participation at Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Stage Singapore, Korean International Art Fair (KIAF) and the Melbourne Art Fair. Following this, Mary was the Associate Director at Anna Schwartz Gallery, Sydney, overseeing the staging of significant exhibitions including Erwin Wurm, Candice Breitz and You promised me, and you said a lie to me, curated by Alexie Glass Kantor. Mary has a BA (Hons) and MFA from Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney.
MARY@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
ERIN HODGE
DIRECTOR, MARKETING & PARTNERSHIPS
Prior to joining Melbourne Art Foundation, Erin worked as an integral member of the marketing team at Emporium Melbourne. From its beginning in 2014, Erin was involved in delivering the new-to-market $1.6 billion asset; responsible for seeing the brand through development, launch and stabilisation, successfully positioning the centre as an iconic Melbourne destination.
Whilst at Emporium Melbourne, Erin developed and delivered many successful partnerships that received critical acclaim from both local and international media. Passionate about working with both emerging and established creative brands, Erin collaborated with a diverse range of clients, including; Baz Luhrmann, The Australian Ballet, National Gallery of Victoria, Disney, Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Melbourne Fashion Week.
Prior to this, Erin built a diverse skill set working in various roles within the fashion industry, including public relations for Stella McCartney in Paris & London.
ERIN@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
JODIE KRAS
FAIR MANAGER
Jodie Kras has over 10 years of experience in the art industry, working across commercial galleries, biennales, art fairs and auction houses in Melbourne and Sydney.
Jodie’s passion for helping the next generation of art collectors led her to establish The Arts Club in 2018, a series of pop-up exhibitions in unique locations aiming to bridge the gap between emerging artists and collectors. The Arts Club created spaces distinctly different to the setting of a traditional gallery and sourced unique works by emerging artists at affordable prices.
JODIE@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
HOLLY CAMPBELL
VIP AND PROGRAM MANAGER
Holly Campbell is an arts administrator with an interest in connecting both public and private audiences with visual art and curated spaces. Prior to joining the Melbourne Art Foundation, Holly worked as a Curator and Operations Coordinator for public art consultancy and manufacturer UAP Company, leading the Melbourne Studio and working with Clients both nationally and internationally. Holly holds a BA from The University of Melbourne.
HOLLY@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
CRISTINA ULLOA SOBARZO
DIGITAL CONTENT COORDINATOR
Cristina Ulloa Sobarzo is an emerging arts professional. She has previously worked with Clemenger BBDO, leading the digital implementation of campaigns for Myer. During that time, she also volunteered with SYN radio as an executive producer for their flagship arts and culture show, Art Smitten. There, she was able to further cultivate her love of the arts, interviewing working artists around Naarm and beyond, while producing a weekly radio show and managing a team of volunteers. In 2020, during lockdown, she worked with RMIT Culture to produce a student belonging exhibition titled Museum of Me which looked to connect students during a time of social isolation.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Media), graduating from RMIT in 2021. She is currently studying for a Graduate Certificate in Business (Arts & Cultural Management) at Deakin University.
CRISTINA@MELBOURNEARTFOUNDATION.COM
DHARIZ (DEE) MANALO
FAIR ADMINISTRATOR
Dhariz (Dee) Manalo has a background in project and operations management. She thrives on building strong relationships and providing solutions to all stakeholders within the Arts, Events and Construction Materials Industry. Dee has been involved in the successful delivery of Melbourne Art Fair (2022), Melbourne Design Fair (2022 – 2023), Affordable Art Fair (2022), Sydney Contemporary (2022 – 2023), Gertrude Street Projection Festival (2022 – 2023) and IMARC (2022 – 2023).
An avid volunteer within the Arts sector, Dee is committed to sharing inspirational experiences with the audience whilst supporting artists, galleries and NFP organisations.
