Meet SCCA’s New Executive Director - Liz Chang
Photo: Anna Kučera, courtesy of Parramatta Artists Studios.
At SCCA we are counting down the days until Liz Chang joins the team in the role of Executive Director. To help fill the time, we asked Liz a few questions so you could get to know a little about her and understand why we’re so excited about what she’ll bring to this role.
While you’re a Sunshine Coast local, many in the industry don’t know you. Briefly introduce yourself to the Sunshine Coast Creative community.
My interests in speaking and connecting with artists were revealed when at art school I spent more time in other artists’ studios than of my own.
I’ve held positions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Parramatta Artists Studios and Urban Art Projects. From steering programming initiatives in Parramatta in Western Sydney, to curating public art in Shanghai, each role deepened my understanding of the arts landscape. I’ve been living between Eumundi and Sydney for three years and have developed a great appreciation for Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) Country. I'm excited to settle into the Coast fulltime with my family and I'm eager to contribute to the local arts community.
Tell us a little about the role you’re currently saying goodbye to in order to join SCCA?
I’m currently wrapping up my time at Parramatta Artists Studios where I’m the Curator and responsible for artist development. It’s an organisation I first worked for almost 10 years ago and returned to after living overseas. It’s offered me the opportunity to develop artist-led development programs that build practical skills and rich networks; to connect artists with local communities; and curate and commission artists to create experimental works.
I’ve supported artists by engaging curators and knowledgeable arts workers to provide professional guidance and witnessed the significance of knowledge sharing among the artists through the program. Artists in the wider community were seeking the mentorship that this program provides, and observing a lack of similar offerings, I developed the framework for a free one-day public program, Movers and Makers, that extended this offering to the Sydney art community. It was the first of its kind, has spurred other organisations to provide similar programs and is still running annually.
Through this unique organisation, I've had the privilege of diving deep into artists' practices and career paths during their one- or two-year residencies. With the luxury of time, I’ve been able to offer personalised support and see its impact.
What motivates you to work with artists and their practices?
I enjoy stepping into an artist's practice and understanding how they perceive and experience the world. An artist's research and inquiry is distinct because it interprets the world in ways that encompass and intersect with cultural, scientific and psychological disciplines. I'm excited by the slippery, messy and non-linear nature of practice and find I learn something that changes my perspective of my own world every time I hear an artist talk about their practice.
What is your personal goal as ED of SCCA?
I am interested in how to make the sector more equitable for people who are at a cultural, economic or geographic disadvantage. This is what drew me to working in community programming and Western Sydney. At SCCA, I want to address the perceived disconnection that regional arts has with metropolitan cities by lifting the profile of creative practitioners living and working on the Sunshine Coast.
What can the community expect working with you?
Being relatively new to the Coast, I'm keen to learn more about the local scene from the community. I enjoy having a chat and I’m looking forward to meeting the community and hearing firsthand what practitioners are making, planning and what support they need.
Become an SCCA member
By becoming a member, you are helping SCCA in its ongoing work creating opportunities for artists and supporting our creative sector to be sustainable, connected and relevant. In addition, you can have your say on who leads SCCA by voting at our annual general meetings, access to spaces at Sub Tropic (for a fee) and receive pre-sale opportunities and discounts for SCCA programs and events.