Our Staff

Executive Director

Dr Kirrily Jordan
director@m16artspace.com

Marketing and Administration Co-ordinator

Mimir Soboslay Moore (they/them)
exhibitions@m16artspace.com

Accounts

Phillip van Zomeren
accounts@m16artspace.com

Gallery Assistants

Francis Jaye Johnson
Ellen Shields
Saori Brooks
Nic Schmidt ( they/them)
office@m16artspace.com

Our Board

Travis Green (he/him)

Travis is an experienced creative producer with over 20 years in professional arts management. Travis specialises in engaging audiences in artistic programs, with the belief that engagement with the Australian cultural sector is a benefit for the individual and the nation. He is passionate about supporting emerging artist in sharing their work, and improving the social community of the artist and the audience. He believes by volunteering on the M16 board he can give back to local and artistic community and contribute to the professional development of emerging artist.

Elyse Herrald-Woods (she/her)

Elyse is an avid appreciator of the arts, and arguably the least creative person in her family: her brother is a photographer, her grandfather received an OAM for services to music, her cousin is a voiceover artist, and members of her extended family owned and ran galleries in Sydney and founded a contemporary dance company. M16 was one of the first local art spaces Elyse discovered after moving to Canberra more than 15 years ago and she has attended many of its exhibitions, open days and other events. She is privileged to now be a part of its journey.

Elyse brings skills and experience from her career in the public service and corporate finance in project and program management with strong risk and governance foundations and a whole-of-system perspective. In particular, she has overseen the assessment and delivery of more than $500m in grants to community organisations and for community outcomes, as well as negotiated the achievement of important environmental and social outcomes by a range of Commonwealth agencies and State and Territory governments. Elyse holds a Masters in Government and Commercial Law from ANU,

Bachelor degrees in Development Studies and Business from the University of Newcastle, and a Diploma in Project Management.

Tara James (she/her)

Tara James is an experienced arts manager with over a fifteen years’ experience working in National Cultural Institutions in conservation, registration, and exhibitions roles.

Tara has worked and studied within the arts for over 25 years in a wide variety of roles. She is currently the Senior Exhibitions Project Coordinator at The National Portrait Gallery of Australia and manages their extensive touring exhibitions program.

With an academic history in Visual Arts, Museum Practise and Arts and Cultural Management she has exceptional arts administration skills, broad project management experience and a deep understanding of working with small and regional galleries.

Tara is committed to improving accessibility to cultural experiences, artist led practises and fostering arts communities through dynamic periods growth and change.

Mark Mohell (he/him)

M16 Artist

Mark Mohell is an accomplished and passionate visual artist. Canberra-based, Mark draws much of the inspiration for his photography from his local surrounds, as he traverses and contemplates the capital region’s unique urban and natural landscapes. He has been the esteemed Imaging Services Manager at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) for over a decade, where he’s known for his mix of irreverence and reserve; his flowing auburn locks (once famously deployed in propagandist lip-sync homage to Madonna); and immersion in his Finnish heritage, manifesting in a mild sauna and birch branch obsession.

Proficient in both film and digital formats, Mark has exhibited widely, and his works are held by various national and regional cultural institutions. His 2012 portrait of inaugural NPG Director Andrew Sayers AM was acquired by the Portrait Gallery the following year. In 2015 a series of his photographs was purchased by the Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG), where they immediately featured prominently in the exhibition Urban Suburban. Mark’s work also formed part of that institution’s 2018 show-piece ‘Celebration: 20 years of collecting visual art at CMAG’. In the same year his collection of portraits, ‘Taglietti People’ – featuring renowned architect Enrico Taglietti and the people who owned and were influenced by his designs – showed as part of ‘Design Canberra’ at East Hotel. Most recently he was a finalist in the 2021 Bowness Photography Prize, and – with his striking video work, ‘Eupnea’ – winner of the 2021 York Botanic Art Prize in Western Australia.

Kishwar Rahman

Kishwar Rahman is a lawyer and an artist with an LLM from The University of Melbourne and a MA (Fine Arts) from the ANU. She has worked as an IT lawyer both in the public and private sectors. Kishwar runs her own business AICurious advising clients on their regulatory and compliance requirements. Kishwar is passionate about promoting women’s participation in the community with a particular focus on the arts, small business and start-ups. As a practicing artist Kishwar maintains her contact with the arts community in the ACT through participation in exhibitions and arts events.

Swan Ricco

Swan Ricco is a dynamic leader and visionary in urban planning and sustainable development, based in Canberra, Australia. With a relentless passion for creating vibrant, resilient communities, Swan brings a wealth of expertise and innovation to the table.

Currently serving as a Senior Advisor at the ACT Legislative Assembly, Swan advises on critical policy matters spanning arts, environment, and city services. Swan's strategic guidance has been instrumental in driving positive change and shaping the future of Canberra.

In addition to public service, Swan is the driving force behind LIFA LAB, a global enterprise revolutionising health and wellness products, and transferring traditional remedies to non-toxic alternatives. As Founder and CEO, Swan leads with a bold vision, pioneering innovative strategies that propel the company's growth and influence on a global scale.

Beyond the boardroom, Swan is deeply committed to community well-being. Through collaboration with organisations like The Heart Foundation, Swan champions initiatives that promote health, equity, and social impact, making a tangible difference in people's lives

Christian Sirois

Christian Sirois is a curator, anthropologist, and researcher whose work is centred around multisensory systems, experimental ethnographies, and arts-based methodologies within cultural documentation. Sirois has worked internationally across the creative and cultural sectors as well as in research institutions. He is currently conducting a PhD in Human and Cultural Geography at the University of New South Wales and is passionate about studio and research led artistic practice and is an advocate for independent and community arts organisations.

Natalie Truong (she/her)

Natalie is a qualified lawyer and experienced general manager, with 20 years of expertise in providing commercial, policy, governance, and strategic advice to government, organisations and boards. She enjoys building collaborative and inclusive spaces and cultures, and is an advocate for diversity, mentorship, and mental health awareness.

Natalie holds a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication both from the University of Technology Sydney, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. She is currently studying a Masters in Creative Art Therapy at MIECAT, and Visual Arts subjects at CIT.

Natalie joined the Board in March 2024 and looks forward to contributing to the M16 Artspace community.

Angela Wallbank

Angela Wallbank is a public policy professional with experience across a range of policy areas including industrial relations, work health and safety, and health. She has a Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Business (industrial relations) and a Masters in Public Administration. Angela is a Griffith local, where she resides with her husband and kids. Angela’s decision to join the Board of M16 Artspace is Angela’s way of supporting her local community.