The new OAS Executive Committee as elected at the AGM on November 12 last year:
President: Dr Bill Rathmel
Vice President and Journal Editor: Dr James Elmslie
Treasurer: Rita Uechtritz
Secretary: Robin Hodgson
Past President and Vice President: David Welch
Tribal Art Fair organiser: Geoff Carey
International Communications: Noelle Rathmell-Stiels
Advertising: Irene Ashburn
Website design, Advertising & TAF consultant: Warwick Majcher
Facebook administrator: Jerry Liew
Other on-line media (Instagram and more): Flynn Malnic
Special advisor to all matters Art Oceanic: Crispin Howarth
Editorial Assistant: Dr Krisztina Turza
Bill Rathmell has had a long career in agricultural research and education in five countries, on four continents – in both industry and in academia. He and his Belgian wife Noëlle (a former art-critic – currently a correspondent of the Tribal Art magazine) have always been fascinated by the arts and culture of the places they have lived in and visited. They came with their family to Australia twenty-two years ago, and have been members of the OAS since Harry Beran founded it. In fact, Bill’s photographs from Vanuatu and aboriginal Australia were used when Noëlle created the original oceanicartsociety.org.au website in 1999. Bill and Noelle have continued to travel extensively in Australasia and have a modest collection of aboriginal and Oceanic artworks in their Sydney home. Though retired, Bill is adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment in the University of Sydney doing occasional contract and voluntary work in Europe and in Asia.
Dr Krisztina Turza is a dual citizen of Hungary and Australia, residing in Brisbane, QLD. Krisztina, a commercial law specialist, now works in the mining and oil & gas industry, and is currently enrolled at Deakin University Master of Arts and Cultural Management course. In 2013 Krisztina’s passion for tribal art, archaeology and art history led her to establish TurzArt Tribal Gallery with its strong authentic museum quality collection of Aboriginal, Oceanic and Southeast Asian tribal artworks.
