Board of Management
Craft + Design Canberra is supported by a Board of management. Members are drawn from the Canberra and region craft and design network and are experienced in the areas of professional practice, administration, business management and financial administration.
Penny Boyer | Chair
Photographer, Educator
Penny Boyer has worked in the art, craft, and design industries for over 35 years and continues to have a keen interest in arts, craft, design and photography. She has a Masters in Visual Arts in photography and studied architecture, ran her own photographic business and worked as an arts educator at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) for 25 years teaching photography and being Head of Department/Education Manager for Fashion, Photography, Visual Arts, Graphic Design, Architectural Design and Interior Design. She set up the first ever degree level programs at the CIT (in Fashion and Photography), working collaboratively with institutions within Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Her work has involved collaborating with many organisations to secure sponsorship and organise events, these includes National cultural institutions, local arts organisations, education institutions, government departments and business, locally, nationally, and internationally. Penny has over 10 years of arts governance experience gained on the Capital Arts Patrons Organisation (CAPO) board (1999-2009).
Giang Tan | Deputy Chair
Special Counsel Lawyerbank
Giang is a corporate and commercial lawyer with a tax background. She is an experienced lawyer having worked in legal and tax consulting roles for both government and the private sector providing sound commercial advice. She has excellent technical skills across a range of areas, with a particular interest in corporate governance, trusts and tax. Giang takes a pragmatic and results-based approach that takes account of her clients’ political, policy and commercial drivers. She enjoys working with clients to navigate their legislative obligations, solve their legal problems and achieve their objectives. Giang’s co-operative and personal approach allows her to build strong relationships with the clients and her peers. She can seamlessly fit into each new environment she encounters and is experienced in managing and meeting tight time frames in high pressure settings.
PHOTO COMING SOON
Kayannie Denigan ( Aṉangu Luritja ) | Board member and First Nations Representative
Visual Artist
Kayannie Denigan is an Aṉangu Luritja visual artist with strong family and cultural connections to the Bagarrmuguwarra and Kuku Yalanji people of Cape York. She works predominantly in acrylic on canvas, exploring the dual perspectives of her Luritja heritage and upbringing on Cape York through earthy, rich and vibrant expressions of her connection to people and country. Kayannie has also explored her practice through contemporary jewellery, textiles, mixed media and scavenged materials. In 2023, Kayannie held a solo exhibition at Belconnen Arts Centre, had her artwork featured at the Australian Pavilion at COP28 and projected onto Australian Parliament House during National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week. She currently works as an arts administrator and has extensive public sector leadership, policy, program management and stakeholder engagement experience.
Tess Manuel | Treasurer
PHOTO COMING SOON
Belinda Popovich | Secretary
Commercial Retail Manager ACT Business Services
Belinda Popovich is a business leader with extensive experience in commercial strategy, stakeholder engagement, and governance. She has successfully driven business performance through strategic planning, financial analysis, and risk management in the property and retail sectors. A strong advocate for collaboration between businesses and nonprofit organisations, Belinda has led initiatives that connect commercial enterprises with community groups to drive meaningful social impact. Her expertise in fostering partnerships is evident through her fundraising work and community engagement efforts, ensuring sustainable benefits for local organisations. Passionate about the arts, she actively participates in oil painting and life drawing workshops, aligning her professional skills with her deep appreciation for Canberra’s creative community.
Rod Bobeldijk | General Member
Complete Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd
Rod Bobeldijk is the Director and co-founder of Complete Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd, (Est. 1998), specialising in commercial construction and project management. Rod has significant experience working in the Commercial Construction Industry, where he has been involved in Building & Civil projects within the ACT, surrounding NSW and Sydney since 1993. As a Director, Rod has been instrumental in developing Complete Constructions (Aust), which has built a reputation in the industry as a highly regarded, professional and innovative organisation. A younger Rod was awarded MBA ACT Young Commercial Builder of the Year (2012) based on his “knowledge of his craft and his ability to work in cooperative arrangements with both his clients and designers”. Rod has a passion for architecture, outdoor adventure, and travel. He has designed multiple houses, including his own residence which was awarded an MBA prize. He takes a keen interest in his daughter’s and son’s sporting activities which include netball, basketball and soccer.
PHOTO COMING SOON
Dion Pretorius | General Member
Associate Partner and Director of Strategy Supercurious
With more than a decade working in communications, policy, advocacy and engagement across the government and not-for-profit sectors, Dion is a passionate strategist focused on impact. Driven by data and research, Dion is Associate Partner and Director of Strategy at creative agency Supercurious. Facts, figures and fascinating stories are central to his work, and in delivering these to audiences and decision-makers, he works to inform, inspire and empower them to change the world for the better. Highlights from his career include developing nationally significant brands from the ground up; building and engaging digital platforms to engage millions of users; rolling out multi-million dollar retail campaigns; supporting the acquisition of hundreds of millions of dollars of Government funding for research; and securing royalty, Prime Ministers and other high profile decision makers for the launch or roll out of impactful programs. He is also a proud member of the LGBTIQ+ and disability communities, an avid DIYer, and a visual artist-in-training.
Ashley Eriksmoen | Membership Representative
Ashley is a studio-based practitioner and educator with nearly 30 years of experience in contemporary studio crafts. She completed her Master of Fine Arts in Furniture Design at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2000. In 2012, Ashley emigrated from California to Canberra to head the Furniture workshop at ANU School of Art & Design, where she continues to be a Senior Lecturer. ANU has provided Ashley with extensive experience contributing to committees (including the Major Equipment Committee which reviews 60+ applications a year and distributes $2-3 million in equipment grants and has chaired the Education Committee which deals with shaping and implementing school governance and policy). Ashley is just completing her term as a board member of Greenwood Global, a non-profit supporting local control of sustainable forest management based in North America with operations in the Caribbean and Central America. At Greenwood, Ashley was responsible for cultural projects, specifically development of innovative exhibition strategies with external stakeholders and funding partners.
Ashley's areas of expertise are Contemporary Crafts Practices, Critical and Speculative Design, and Sustainable Craft and Design Practices. She is an accredited professional member of Craft + Design Canberra, where she has contributed through exhibiting, giving floor talks, opening exhibits, writing catalogue essays, and serving on the panel of excellence for exhibition EOI selection. She is a studioholder at Strathnairn Arts Association. Ashley has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including from Australia Council, ArtsACT, the Clarence Prize and the Australian Furniture Design Award.
PHOTO COMING SOON
Josephine Townsend | Membership representative
Contemporary ceramicist
Josephine Townsend is a ceramic artist working from her home studio in Canberra. She has been working with clay since the late nineties. Her full-time art practice began in 2015, after finishing university study and careers in both teaching and the public service. She has a busy retail practice, with a number of stockists in and around Canberra, regular markets and sales from her studio. She also exhibits regularly, enabling her to explore more complex ideas, forms and surface designs. Josephine is an active member of the Canberra ceramics community. From 2017-2020 she was the Education Manager at Canberra Potters, overseeing a period of strong growth in the range and number of available classes and workshops. She continues to teach ceramics there, as well as conduct workshops around the region. She has experience on working a range of committees and boards, including government and industry forums, Australian Standards technical committees and school boards.
Jodie Cunningham | Non-voting
Craft + Design Canberra CEO and Artistic Director
Jodie Cunningham is CEO and Artistic Director of Craft + Design Canberra, one of Australia’s leading creative centres for the development of visual art, craft and design. Jodie manages the overall operations and resources, acting as the main point of communication between the board of directors, staff, members, sponsors and government bodies. She is the public face of the organisation, curating a vibrant program of exhibitions, residencies and cross-disciplinary collaborations including the DESIGN Canberra Festival.
Cunningham is a highly creative arts leader, visual artist and educator with extensive experience in developing and delivering innovative exhibitions, public programs in museums, galleries and art contexts. She also has an extensive background in visual art and design education and a commitment to mentoring developing artists and fostering collaboration.
Cunningham advocates advocate for the power of creativity, the arts and cultural activity to provide hope to our communities, strengthen our local and national cultural identities, and facilitate social change.