Our Team
artisan is operated by a small group of people who are passionate about craft and design. Collectively, we share experience as makers, arts administrators and members of our creative community. We are driven to share the work taking place within Australia, and support our talented artists, craftspeople and designers. If you would like to get in touch, please send us an email using the contact details below.
Claire Sourgnes
Chief Executive Officer
ceo@artisan.org.au
Claire Sourgnes is artisan's CEO and is passionate about articulating the value and importance of visual arts for all. After working in private and public galleries for many years in Australia and Germany she was appointed the inaugural Coordinator of the Moreton Bay Regional Council Art Gallery Network. She joined artisan in October 2016. Claire is the President of Public Galleries Queensland and co-Chair of the Australian Craft and Design Centres Network.
Cassandra Lehman
Deputy Director & Curator
cassandra@artisan.org.au
Cassandra Lehman With over two decades of industry experience, Cassandra has worked as a curator, gallery director, arts policy writer, and theatre production manager. She has travelled extensively, gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with Australian, Torres Strait Island and Aboriginal artists, and South East Asian arts communities. Passionately committed to broadening audiences for the contemporary arts, Cassandra's primary focus continues to challenge perceptions, while extending intercultural understanding through the arts
Simone Linssen
Programs, Access & Engagement Coordinator
programs@artisan.org.au
Simone Linssen has been working with Brisbane based arts and culture for ten years as a Curator and Art Gallery Director. She has a BFA with Honours from Queensland College of Art and is the Curator for the Brisbane Portrait Prize. Simone is passionate about the arts and supporting local practitioners, with a history of creating new and exciting opportunities for artists and practitioners.
Ellie Anderson
Marketing & Communications Manager
marketing@artisan.org.au
Ellie Anderson has over a decade of experience in creative studio and sales environments, with a vibrant background in arts and events management. Ellie has a diverse range of business management skills, including marketing, communications, workshops, public programs, book keeping, people management, and art studio management. Ellie's background is firmly grounded in the arts, with a BFA from the Queensland College of Art, she is passionate about the industry and its role within the Brisbane community.
Kate Land
Workshops Program Officer
workshop@artisan.org.au
Kate recently graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Fine Arts majoring in Visual Arts, with a minor in Business Management. Her graduate work was exhibited in Hatched: the National Graduate Showcase at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art in 2021. As an emerging artist herself, Kate is passionate about advocating for early career makers. She comes from a background facilitating arts programming for children, and is excited to translate the practices of Queensland craftspeople and designers into workshops for the Brisbane community.
Belle Kirkpatrick
Retail Manager
store@artisan.org.au
Belle Kirkpatrick comes from a tertiary background in graphic design and marketing, and is passionate about supporting local makers and making a positive impact within the arts community in Australia. Belle is a practicing metalsmith and artist working predominantly in making jewellery and small sculptural works. Belle graduated from the Queensland College of Art with a BFA in early 2021. She has exhibited work internationally including Why Jewellery 2019, Hong Kong and 9 March Project 2020, Moscow.
Martin Edge
Gallery & Retail Assistant
Martin Edge is a professional artist, and has been painting and exhibiting full time since 2010. He is represented by Anthea Polson Art in Queensland and Robin Gibson Gallery in Sydney. Two of Martin’s paintings were recently collected by Queensland State Library, his work is also in the Parliament House Collection, Canberra along with several national regional gallery and hospital collections. He has been a finalist in many important art prizes including the Salon des Refuses, and last year’s Hurford Hardwood Portrait Prize at Lismore regional gallery. Martin is a proud ambassador for Autism Queensland and has allowed images of his paintings of Brisbane to be used for their promotional and fundraising projects.
Suzanne Dark
Accounting & Finance Officer
admin@artisan.org.au
Suzanne Dark has been providing bookkeeping and accounting services for over 25 years. Her diverse career has taken her from Mackay to Brisbane, London and even Vanuatu. She has gained extensive experience working with creative firms along the way, including artisan for the past eight years