About Us

Staff Profiles

Jane Hooper

B.A. Humanities (Film/Television)
Senior Operations Coordinator
Contact: jhooper@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Jane completed a BA in Humanities at Griffith University (Qld), majoring in film and television production and theory. She has worked across many arts related areas - one of her favourites
being a grass roots multi-media project by women in the Asia
Pacific region, presented at the UN Forum on Women in Beiijing
1995.

Since moving to Sydney in 2000, Jane has filled a number of administrative and office management roles, including facilities manager and course coordinator for the NSW Writers'Centre, managing the office of a large format travelling photographic exhibition (M.I.L.K.), then an 18 month stint as
office and IT manager in the competitive world of entertainment
licensing.

In 2006, Jane returned to the warm embrace of community arts, as Arts Administration Officer of Pine Street. After 18 months in that role, she became Senior Operations Coordinator in early 2008 and hasn't looked back since!

Phillip Relf

BA Communications (Theatre/Media)
Cultural Programs Coordinator (Outreach)
Contact: prelf@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Phillip Relf graduated from the then North Sydney Technical College’s Film & Teleview Production program in 1977. After
working with independent film companies and finally the ABC documentary unit, including 4 Corners and A Big Country, he
left to travel overseas.

In 1992 he graduated from Charles Sturt University with a BA Communications (Theatre/Media) specialising in community
event celebrations, large scale lantern and street imagery. He
has worked both here and overseas on major festivals and with theatre companies such as Welfare State International (UK) and Bread & Puppet (USA). Phillip has worked at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre since 1995.

Bess O'Malley

MA (Visual Arts)
Cultural Programs Coordinator (Childrens)
Contact: bomalley@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Bess holds a Master of Art degree (major oil painting),
graduating with distinction from the College Of Fine Art, Sydney
in 1994. She is also a qualified Environmental Educator and has worked across Australia on visual arts projects addressing local
green issues. In addition to her role at Pine Steet, Bess has been
the Visual Arts Producer on all three Sydney Children's Festivals
at Carriageworks.

As Children's Program Coordinator, Bess aims to develop
innovative programs that inspire children to view their
environment in a new way, and to equip them with a skill set
to express their imagination and feelings more successfully.

Christie Torrington

BVA (Honours)
Cultural Programs Coordinator (Youth)
Contact: ctorrington@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Christie Torrington trained in painting & Drawing at the College
of Fine Arts Paddington, completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours class 1) in 2002.  

Christie has exhibited widely over the last 10 years, her first
solo show Out of the Dark was held in 2004 at Francis Baker Smith Gallery, and in 2005, another solo production, Nature
isno Refuge. Her most recent exhibition was at Pine Street's galleryin 2009. She was winner of the 2004 Hunters Hill Art
Prize Viewers Choice Award, 2002 UNSW Students Association Arts Prize (Painting & Drawing), 2003 William Fletcher Trust
Grant.

Christie has taught painting and drawing classes with adults, teens and children for 5 years. She manages all of Pine Street's
Youth programs as well as coordinating our major annual Youth Festival - smARTarts.

Rowena Hall

M.F.A, B.V.A - Photomedia, Grad Dip (Business - Tourism)
Arts Administrator & Gallery Coordinator
Contact: rhall@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Rowena has been heavily involved in the Arts for almost
20 years. Her performing arts experience includes stage management, set building, lighting, and film stills. She was Workshop Manager at the Australian Centre of Photography
and spent nearly six years with the Australian Film, Television
and Radio School in Sydney where her additional duties included Stills Photography tutor and Film Stills Photographer. She also participated on the Board of Directors for First Draft Gallery.

In 2011 Rowena completed her Masters of Fine Arts (by research and exhibition) in Photo-media at Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney University. Rowena is also a practicing artist – her latest body of photographic work, History Bearing, is reminiscent of tableaux vivant and cinematic stills.

Rebecca Baird

BVA (Printmaking & Painting), Dip Business
Senior Printmaking Tutor & Studio Technician
Contact: rbaird@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

I pursued my teacher training in Rudolf Steiner education
based on the philosophy of Anthroposophy. This is a holistic
approach, which focuses on the development of ages and
stages of the child and the importance of creativity in
education. Whilst studying I worked at Warringah print
making studio as a teacher of non-toxic and traditional
printmaking techniques.

As a tutor of printmaking and painting, I encourage my
students to explore their talents as artists using an
experimental approach to produce their own work. I have
exhibited in group and solo shows and completed
commissioned works for both corporate and private institutions.

Anthony Brink

BVA (Honours), Grad Dip (Teaching)
Senior Ceramics Tutor & Studio Technician
Contact: abrink@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Anthony's professional experience includes: Mould-maker
at KC Day in Sydney; Assistant to sculptor and multimedia
artist Frederic Chepeaux; Aprentist to ceramic artist Gwyn Hanssen Pigott; anda production thrower in Errol Barnes’
Lyrebird Ridge Pottery. Since the late 1980's he has
worked independently as a studio based potter, and
was artist-in-residence at the Queensland Potters
Association in Brisbane. He coordinated community adult education programs, began exhibiting in and around Brisbane and generated a national market for his work.

Anthony currently runs the Fireant Ceramic Art and Design studio in Mt Victoria, Blue Mountains and has worked as a part time teacher in ceramics since 2005. His sustained creative practice informs his teaching, currently with COS at Pine Street Creative Arts Centre.