Recently appointed as MUMA Director in July 2023, Rebecca is an accomplished museum director, curator, writer and lecturer, and has previously worked at numerous acclaimed institutions, including the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne International Arts Festival and the Museum of Modern Art Oxford. Most recently, Rebecca was at the helm of the Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) as Artistic Director and CEO. She brings extensive experience in developing and implementing visionary and timely artistic programs, and a strong commitment to community engagement and increasing opportunities around diversity and inclusion.

Email Rebecca

Before joining MUMA Pip was Director of Programs at Callie's Berlin where she worked on programs by Bouchra Khalili, Sophie Lee, and Colin Self. She was previously Curator, Contemporary Art, National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne where she curated projects by Simone Forti, Hito Steyerl, and Adam Linder and commissioned works by Nicholas Mangan and Ruth Höflich. Prior, she held curatorial positions at Chisenhale Gallery London and Gertrude Contemporary, and was managing editor at X-TRA Contemporary Art Quarterly, Los Angeles. Pip is a lead researcher on Precarious Movements: Choreography and the Museum and a member of Matter In Flux.

Email Pip

Alicia Renew joined MUMA as Gallery Manager in 2013. Alicia has a diverse creative and professional practice as a manager, curator, producer and artistic director. Alicia was Artistic Director of Channels Festival 2017, Creative Producer – Exhibitions for Channels 2015 and is currently on the Festival Committee. Previously she was the Curator at MADA Gallery, Monash University, where she coordinated and curated over eighty exhibitions, including With Hidden Noise (2013), Live in Your Head (2012), The Social Life of Things (2012) and Media Specific (2011). Alicia completed an internship at the National Gallery of Victoria for Melbourne Now in 2013 and has written for the NGV Magazine, Melbourne Now, MADA Gallery, Craft Victoria and Trocadero.

Email Alicia

Emma Neale joined MUMA as the Collection Manager in 2019. Emma's experience branches across registration and conservation disciplines, working at Art Centre Melbourne, The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, University of Melbourne Baillieu Library and the University of Melbourne Archives. Prior to her role at MUMA, Emma held the position of Coordinating Registrar, Collection Operations at the National Gallery of Victoria, leading a team responsible for the management of the NGV's Permanent Collection. Emma holds a Masters of Cultural Materials Conservation with a specialisation in object conservation and a Bachelor of Arts in Arts History and Screen and Cultural Studies.

Email Collection

Curator - Indigenous
Amanda Haskard is a Gunai/Kurnai curator interested in moving image, contemporary visual art, and sound. She has held curatorial and leadership positions with SIGNAL, Firstdraft, Centre for Projection Art and Volcanic Winds. She was a founding member of Animatism, a multi-disciplinary collective facilitating artistic action and exchange between artists in Naarm (Melbourne) and Timor-Leste. Most recently Amanda was curator at ACMI where she curated The Future & Other Fictions exhibition in collaboration with futurist Liam Young.

Email Amanda

Francis E. Parker joined MUMA as Curator – Exhibitions in 2011. He is an alumnus of Monash University, completing his Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Visual Culture in 2005. Francis previously worked at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, initially as Curatorial Assistant, Australian Art to 1970, then as Curator, Contemporary Australian Art. At MUMA, he has curated solo projects with Meijers + Walsh, Dylan Martorell and Kate Smith, and co-curated Artists' Proof #1 (2012), Richard Bell: Lessons on Etiquette and Manners and Reinventing the Wheel: The Readymade Century (2013). In 2015, he initiated Sound Spaces, an ongoing series of experimental music performances and, in 2016, curated the exhibition Borders, Barriers, Walls.

Email Francis

Warisa Somsuphangsri joined MUMA as Communications Officer in 2016, where she produces a range of communication and marketing collateral for the museum. Prior, she was the Digital Administrator and Projects Officer at Asialink Arts (2013–16), where she designed communication materials for the Exhibitions Touring and Arts Residencies Program, and co-authored On the Ground & In the Know: The Victoria-Asia Cultural Engagement Research Report (2013). Warisa is an alumna of the University of Melbourne, where she completed the Master of Arts and Cultural Management (2013) and the Bachelor of Creative Arts with honours in Visual Media (2004). Warisa has a ceramic practice, and has worked independently as a graphic designer, video editor and event organiser.

Email Warisa

Communications Coordinator 
Brianna Speight joins MUMA in 2024 as Communications Coordinator. Previously based in Tarntanya/Adelaide, she brings experience in communications from her role as Digital Content and Communications Assistant at Flinders University Museum of Art (2021–24). Brianna has also worked as Co-Director at FELTspace ARI, Studio Assistant at Ernabella Arts and Gallery Assistant at GAGPROJECTS. A practising artist working across photography and sculpture, she holds a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Photography) and a Bachelor of Art and Design Honours from the University of South Australia, where she also completed a course in Writing for Digital Media in 2024.

Email Brianna

Brendan McCleary joined MUMA in 2026 as Public Programs Officer. He has over 15-years experience in the arts, working across government, non-profit, corporate, and university sectors. A founding team member of PHOTO Australia (2018-2025), he was instrumental in creating and delivering public artworks and programming. Alongside his work for PHOTO Australia, Brendan has directed programs for White Night Melbourne, Melbourne Music Week and Dark Mofo. Gallery exhibitions include exhibitions with Australian Embassy, Paris, BUS projects, and a four-year tenure as Gallery Director at SEVENTH Gallery. In 2025, he was a co-curator for the landmark exhibition On Country: Photography from Australia at the Rencontres d’Arles, 2025.

Email Brendan

Melissa Bedford is an educator with a career spanning three decades working in various museum, gallery and school contexts. She holds qualifications in Visual Arts, Education and Arts Management from the University of Melbourne and is committed to youth engagement with contemporary art. As Senior Educator at MUMA Melissa collaborates with artists, academics, schools and collegiate organisations to produce and create inspiring and rigorous opportunities that bring artists and audiences together to engage with contemporary practice.

Beyond her role at MUMA Melissa has initiated a suite of freelance education projects including the Fitzroy Art Spaces Tour (FAST) and authored educational resources for NETS Victoria, Photo Australia and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA).

Melissa joined MUMA in 2012.

Email Melissa

Assistant Education Officer
Jennifer’s time with MUMA started in 2022 when she was awarded the MUMA BACH internship at the completion of her undergraduate studies at MADA. Working in the field of arts education for various organisations throughout her career, Jennifer has always held a passion for fostering creativity to students and young people. With an Honours degree in Curating Practices from Monash University, she brings a researched perspective to the programs delivered to students. Besides her work with MUMA, Jennifer also co-produces a flagship radio show for SYN Media 90.7fm called Art Smitten which aims to provide an insight into the local art world for young people.

Email Jennifer

David Hugh Thomas has worked at MUMA since 1998. David studied art at Deakin University in the early 1980s and is a practising artist, exhibiting his work at venues including the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, the Australian Consulate in New York, Heide Museum of Modern Art and the William Mora Galleries. He gained experience in art-handling in New York, where he lived for five years during the 1990s. David also co-founded the annual Falls Creek Artists Camp, and has initiated a number of curatorial projects in Melbourne and regional Victoria. He is an artist representative on the committee for ‘Artists for Kids Culture’, which has run an annual Charity auction of art for twenty-five years, as well as participating in Arts Advisory panels for Port Phillip City Council.

Email David

Museum Officer
Simon McGlinn joins MUMA in 2025 as a Museum Officer. He brings extensive knowledge of the fine art industry, with experience spanning museum collections, commercial galleries, and artist-run spaces. From 2009 to 2019, Simon worked in the Art Services Department at the National Gallery of Victoria, where he developed expertise in museum standards, including installation, storage, and movement practices. He is a practicing artist who recently completed a PhD in Fine Art (Philosophy) at Monash University (2024) and has been a Sessional Lecturer in the VCA Art Painting Department at the University of Melbourne since 2017.

Zoe joined MUMA as Assistant Registrar in 2025. She brings institutional registration experience in managing and caring for collections as well as a background in digitisation and graphic design. Zoe built her foundational skills in registration as a Registrar and Art Handler at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra before relocating to Melbourne in 2024. Zoe has since held the role of Assistant Installation Technician and Temporary Registrar at the National Gallery of Victoria where she has continued to pursue her interest in collection management. She holds an Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design from CIT and worked as a Graphic Designer before pivoting to working with collections.

Email Zoe

Publicist
In 2023, Rhiannon joined MUMA, contributing over two decades of arts and cultural communication expertise in Australia and the UK. In London, she led UK public relations for Christie's auction house. In Australia, Rhiannon orchestrated successful campaigns for prominent architectural, design, and arts entities as a communications consultant and with Articulate PR. Her portfolio includes work with MPavilion, Melbourne Art Foundation, Anna Schwartz Gallery, Shepparton Art Museum, and more. Rhiannon holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne and is also training to become an ADHD Coach.

Gallery Administrator
Katherine Benjamin joined MUMA as Gallery Administrator at MUMA in 2025 following her work with the museum as a Museum Assistant and as a volunteer since 2022. Katherine has previously held roles at Correspondences Gallery, Laurent Gallery, and Grain and Green Architecture in Indonesia. She holds a Master of Art and Cultural Management from the University of Melbourne, a Master of Business Management from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Fine Art from RMIT.

Email Katherine

Visitor Experience Officer
Madeline Mondon joined MUMA in 2025 as Visitor Experience Officer. In her role she supports the front of house operations and coordination of the volunteer program. She brings to the role extensive experience in creating welcoming spaces all visitors. From 2017 to 2025, Madeline worked for Monash University Performing Arts Centres (MPAC) where, in her role as House Supervisor, she managed the Front of House team during concerts, functions, and theatre performances. She is also a current Program Assistant for the Learn department at the National Gallery of Victoria. Madeline holds a Master of Information Studies (Librarianship) and a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Archaeology and Ancient History.

Email Madeline