First Nations Committee

Dr. Bronwyn Bancroft AM is a Bundjalung Woman and Artist, with a career spanning five decades. Her work has been included in national and international exhibitions and acquired by major galleries, state libraries and private collections. Bronwyn’s contribution to Indigenous literature has been immense and has included authoring and illustrating 50 children’s books. Bronwyn has received the Dromkeen Medal and the Lady Cutler Award for her services to children’s literature and has been nominated for prestigious international awards including the Ezra Keats Award, Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Bronwyn is a Founding Member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative (est. 1987) and was the Co-operative’s volunteer senior strategist from 2009-2026. She is a volunteer and advocate for equality and contributes her extensive expertise to a number of community organisations and not for profits. Bronwyn is a Board member/Director of Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME), The Returning and the Commonwealth Bank’s Indigenous Advisory Council. Bronwyn has a Diploma of Visual Arts, 2 Masters degrees and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sydney. In 2024 Bronwyn was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the arts, and to the Indigenous community. In 2026 Bronwyn was honoured with the Red Ochre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Artistic Excellence at the First Nations Arts and Culture Awards by Creative Australia.

Mark Cora is a proud Minjungbal man who is based in the Tweed Shire. He is an independent artist and cultural educator who seeks to develop art pieces that represent his Country, encompassing the mountains, rainforests, beaches and shoreline. He creates artwork that reflects natural systems and seasonal cycles, reminding viewers of nature’s workings and how our relationship with the environment can contribute to the continuation or destruction of these systems. Mark is also the nursery manager of the First Nations-led Bundjalung Alliance Native Nursery, growing bush foods and creating Indigenous employment, training pathways, food sovereignty and cultural knowledge sharing for future generations.

Jasmin Stanford is a Githabul Bundjalung woman based in Kyogle with a deep love of her heritage and the Country of her old people. Jasmin’s creative practice spans ceramics, painting with ochre, screen printing and fashion. Her work reflects a deep respect for the natural environment and a commitment to sustainability, both in the materials she uses and the stories she chooses to tell. Her career has centred on developing a distinctive visual language through hand-drawn illustrations and screen-printed designs, focused on creating sustainable apparel that reflects the textures, patterns and rhythms of Country, with a particular interest in First Nations unisex designs. In 2024, Jasmin took part in the Wandjaarii Maalii Mentorship Program, a textile and design development initiative run by Arts Northern Rivers. Through the program, she created a small garment collection, covering everything from design and printing to fabric selection and construction. The five-look collection was showcased at ART on Bundjalung in 2024. Jasmin has been steadily developing and evolving her art practice over the past five years, with work featured in markets, exhibitions and community events. Most recently, she participated in Country to Couture 2026 as part of Women of the Rivers, alongside Kylie Caldwell and Val Smith. Jasmin’s desire is to see the arts openly accessible to all, removing traditional barriers and focusing on shared cultural values and the stories of our people.

Deborah Taylor is a Clarence Valley based artist of Gumbaynggir and Bundjalung descent. Deborah began painting on ceramics before progressing to other mediums, with a particular interest in painting with acrylics on canvas and other surfaces. Deborah has strong connections to the waters of her Country – the rivers, creeks and ocean that were the landscape of her childhood and are a place of gathering and connection for her family. These themes deeply influence her work, alongside the stories and memories of her community. Deborah depicts the landscapes of her Country, inspired by the colours and vibrancy of the waters, bush and urban landscape, to portray that First Nations peoples have always been part of the land and that it still is and always will be Aboriginal land.

Melody Popple is a Bundjalung artist, researcher and facilitator whose creative practice explores relationships with Country, waterways, story and place. Working primarily through bush-dyeing and arts-led research, her practice considers how colour, material and process can become ways of listening to and learning with Country. Melody’s recent body of work, Balun Gawarima – River Story, was exhibited at Lone Goat Gallery in 2026 and forms part of her PhD exploring River Knowing philosophy and relationships with waterways on Bundjalung Country. Her work is grounded in Indigenous knowledges, relational practice and a commitment to supporting strong, community-led Indigenous arts and cultural practice.

Kris Cook is a Nyangbal/Bandjalang Gurii photographer and videographer raised in the Northern Rivers who specialises in community, and cultural projects with a focus on authentic storytelling and respectful engagement. Kris captures the people, places, and programs that shape local communities delivering clear, high‑quality visual content for public communications, impact reporting, events, consultations, and digital media. He brings a community‑led approach to every project, ensuring cultural safety, accuracy, and strong representation of local voices, from documentary-style videography to polished photography and post‑production, he delivers reliable, professional visual communications that celebrate culture, and highlight real outcomes across Northern NSW.

Kay Lee Williams is a Kamilaroi woman and multi-disciplinary artist and educator. Born in Narrabri, raised in western Sydney and Cairns, Kay’s love of exploring, listening and responding to Country has shaped her creative and cultural expression. Kay’s practice flows through many forms; drawing, installation, bush dyeing, printmaking, video, and mark making with ochre, with each process becoming a way of listening to Country. Examining many natural mediums, Kay gathers natural materials in the many places she travels with care and respect, weaving these elements into her works, carrying stories of place and connecting her to culture.