As Jodie Cunningham steps in as the new head of Craft ACT the serendipity is uncanny.
This year, the incoming CEO and artistic director shares her 50th birthday with the renowned Canberra arts organisation.
“It’s very auspicious,” she smiled. “So, I’ll never forget, 1971, that’s Craft ACT and how amazing that this organisation has been going all this time!”
Starting her new role at the end of July, the appointment means a great deal to the established Canberra artist and long-time Craft ACT member.
“I’ve been in the Canberra arts scene most of my life,” she said, “and I’m really driven by supporting artists to grow and thrive.”
Alongside her own 25-year visual art practice, Cunningham has worked as an administrator at ACT Historic Places, run an art mentoring group, and taught at TAFE and university.
“For me, supporting artists really is the core of my being,” she said.
“It’s almost like all the different parts of my life came together and this job is the culmination of it.”
Cunningham is also passionate about her hometown. Having grown up here, she is an unashamed Canberra lover who is enamoured with the design-centric nature of the planned capital.
She hopes to champion the city further through the Design Canberra festival and cement the national capital as “the creative capital”.
“I absolutely love the interconnectedness with nature and the design,” she said.
“I think Canberrans have a real connection with nature as well as design that sometimes they may even take for granted because it’s integrated into the fabric of the city.”
With that driving her, taking the reins of a member-driven arts organisation with over 400 practising members appears a good fit.
Cunningham looking to “build Craft ACT’s success”
With the program for 2021, including Design Canberra, already set, Cunningham will deliver it as planned before starting to integrate her own flavour from next year.
In the immediate term, her focus will be on connecting with the member base while building philanthropic and political ties.
“It’s getting to know people, delivering the program and working closely with the members,” she said.
With an overarching vision to “embed contemporary craft, making and design at the centre of everyday life in Australia’s capital” and a thorough strategic vision, Cunningham feels they are closely aligned with her personal goals.
She wants to empower more artists; grow their membership, the profile of their artist members, and their programming; and place Design Canberra as “the new Floriade”.
“It’s all about building on the success we currently have and growing it,” she said.
Another priority is to communicate to artists and the public the relevance and value of art practice, making and design thinking.
“It’s so important that we work with our artist members and the Canberra community to build that knowledge,” Cunningham said.
“Art and design have the capacity to visualise things that can’t be visualised in any other way … To engage and connect with people you need to visualise things in a more emotional, personal way and tell stories.”
She also wants to convey and demonstrate the scientific links between making and wellbeing; on the side she is studying a Masters of Art Therapy.
“The other thing the arts is really fantastic at is helping with wellbeing through either making, looking and viewing or participating in arts activities,” Cunningham said.” I’d like to get that message through to our community.”
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