Bion Balding
Having Founded LCAD in 1995, Bion is both a Director and Course Coordinator at LCAD. With a BA (Fine Art) from the Victorian College of the Art (VCA), Bion has exhibited throughout Australia. Having been a previous recipient of the Australian Council Owen Tooth Studio Residency in Vence, France, and winner of the St Kilda Art Prize in 1988, Bion has taught in Painting at La Trobe University prior to founding LCAD.
Dr Martina Copley
Martina Copley is an artist, educator, and writer with significant experience as an independent curator of contemporary art in various contexts. With a BA Philosophy, Psychology and Fine Art from Melbourne University, BA Photography Victorian College of the Arts, Curatorship & Museum Management Post-Graduate from Melbourne University, Master of Contemporary Art from VCA, PhD of Fine Arts from VCA, Diploma in Education from Monash University, and a CIV TAE40116.
Merrin Eirth
Merrin has been exhibiting her work in Australia and Internationally since the early 1980’s. She has been awarded several profiled art prizes and artist residencies and her work continues to be collected in many significant public and private art collections. Merrin is also a very experienced educator in art at tertiary level. Included in her 22 years of teaching painting and drawing at university art colleges her most recent position was Head of the Drawing School at the VCA.
Dr Michael Mark
Michael serves as Head of Art at LCAD, holds a BA from Occidental College, Los Angeles, an MFA from the Museum School of Fine Arts, Boston, and a PhD from The University of Melbourne/VCA. He has lectured extensively in the US and Australia including at the University of Melbourne/School of Creative Arts, Deakin University, the Centre for Ideas/VCA, and the Ian Potter Conservation Centre.
Jackie Ralph
MA Visual Art, Victorian College of the Arts / BA Fine Art Victoria College Prahran / CIV TAE40116 Assessment & Training / Jackie has exhibited her work in drawing, painting, and sculpture in numerous group and solo shows. Her work is held in public and private collections in Australia. Jackie has traveled extensively and lived in London, New York, and Japan. has taught for a number of years at Victoria University and LCAD.
Elsie Preston
Elsie Preston graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2021. She has recently held exhibitions at Connors Connors, 138 Gallery, KINGS Artist-Run and Savage Garden. She has participated in group shows at Ian Potter Museum of Art and the Victorian College of the Arts. She is a current board member of TCB Gallery.
Katie Banakh
Katie Banakh holds a BA (Honours) Painting and Photography, Deakin University, and a Cert IV TAE40122. She ran Raglan Street Gallery, North Melbourne until 2014. In 2017 she attended Lunga School in Iceland. Katie has exhibited widely across Australia, and was shortlisted in the Gosford Art Prize (2020) and Bluethumb Art Prize (2021). In 2020 she was the joint recipient of the Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize.
Penny Walker-Keefe
Penny Walker-Keefe holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art) from The VCA, 2018, a Diploma of Studio Textiles from RMIT, 2007, and a TAE40116. Her contemporary art practice spans painting, collage, sculpture and video media. She has exhibited at Fremantle Arts Centre, Yarra Sculpture Gallery, University of Tasmania, and Seventh, and has curated exhibitions at TCB Gallery and Dirty Dozen.
