Rebecca Coates is a curator, writer and lecturer. Since 2015 she has been the Director of Shepparton Art Museum, located on Yorta Yorta country in regional Victoria. She is responsible for running a dynamic regional art gallery, the successful transition from Council owned and operated to independent not-for profit governance model, the development of a new purpose built $50M art museum designed by Denton Corker Marshall due to be complete by late 2020, early 2021; and a major capital campaign to support the project.
Rebecca has worked extensively in Australia and overseas. She speaks and writes regularly on contemporary art, curatorship, exhibition histories, culturally led economic renewal, and ceramics. She was awarded her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2014. She is an Honorary Fellow, COVA, University of Melbourne.
Rebecca has held a number of board positions, including Deputy Chair, Public Galleries Association Victoria, 2018-2019; Chair, Public Art Advisory Committee, City of Melbourne, June 2015 – 2017; Board Member, Australian Tapestry Workshop, 2011 – 2015; Arts Advisory Panel, Stonnington Council, 2009 – 2014; Visual Arts Panels, Creative Victoria, various, 2012 – 2015.
