Professor Kristy Edmunds
Professor Kristy Edmunds’ career in the arts has been characterised as robust, impassioned and artist-centred, built on forging diverse and highly rigorous synergies and collaborations between often seemingly disparate elements.
As an artist, curator, consultant and artistic director, Edmunds is considered a leading international advocate for contemporary artists and their often highly innovative practice. Her expertise and professional relationships with some of the masters of 20th and 21st century performing arts, in addition to critical innovators in all disciplines of artistic practice, has given her the reputation of being courageous and maverick in her curatorial approach.
Kristy Edmunds graduated from Western Washington University (USA) in 1990 with a Master of Arts in Playwriting and Theatre Direction, after completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Film and Television Production at Montana State University in 1987. Her Film and Television Production course studies concluded in the former West Berlin and both degrees were completed with honours.
In 1995 she founded the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), an international arts organisation in Portland, Oregon, dedicated to the advancement of contemporary arts practice across all performing, visual and media disciplines. She served as Artistic Director of PICA for 10 years and still serves as an Advisor. In 2003 she launched the TBA (Time-Based Art) Festival at PICA, critically acclaimed as a unique global contribution to arts programming. ‘The Kristy Edmunds Fund for New Work’ - given to an artist annually to support the creation and presentation of their newest work is a legacy of her significant association with PICA and TBA.
Edmunds has experience in teaching and advisory roles in the higher education sector, most recently at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland. She also contributed to the creation of the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, in Washington – a nationally recognised and award-winning model for education reform in the United States.
In 2004 she took up the prestigious post of Artistic Director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival. Edmunds introduced Australian audiences to critically acclaimed artists from around the world whose projects address the global subject matter of our time. Her Festivals enjoyed popular, economic and critical success, resulting in spirited discussion and media debate and provided a supportive platform for artists with a particular emphasis on collaboration. Her legacy as the Artistic Director includes developing Australia’s profile in the global arts arena and establishing MIAF as a vital destination for artists and curators worldwide. Edmunds is the first Artistic Director in the Festival’s 23-year history to serve a four-year term, and the only foreign appointment since its founder in 1975.
Edmunds’ career in the arts has included extensive initiatives and numerous awards for her art and achievements. She has been and continues to be a leader and member of numerous professional bodies, advisory boards and other relevant organisations around the world. In addition she is a highly sought after speaker.
Professor Edmunds is the Head of the new School of Performing Arts, encompassing Dance, Theatre and Production in the Faculty of the VCA and Music at The University of Melbourne. She also serves as the Consulting Artistic Director for the newly established Park Avenue Armoury in New York. Her work as an independent artist is represented by the Elizabeth Leach Gallery, and her consulting through Mirtillo Global Pty Ltd.