Caroline Esbenshade lives and works in Shepparton, Victoria where she juggles her role as Curator – Community at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) alongside her contemporary arts practice while pursuing her Masters in Art Curatorship at the University of Melbourne.
bio
Born in the US, Caroline Esbenshade lives and works in Shepparton, Victoria where she juggles her curatorial role at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) with her contemporary arts practice while pursuing her Masters in Art Curatorship at the University of Melbourne.
As SAM’s Curator – Community she looks after the Community Gallery, Children’s Gallery and Artist in Residence spaces. Across her curatorial and arts management career she has worked with a variety of artists and art organisations and is passionate about supporting creatives at all career stages.
In her contemporary art practice, she explores how the narrative of a moment shifts once it has been translated into a painting or photograph, ruminating on memories as physical objects and the experience of love and intimacy. She began experimenting with instant film after a decade hiatus from film photography in 2019, gravitating to it for its alchemy-like ability to distil time.
In 2022 she was a finalist in the Tacit Still Life Prize, Kangaroo Valley Art Prize, Little Things Art Prize and participated in two group exhibitions. She started 2023 off with a solo show of instant film photography, Things that shouldn’t last, at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne for which she received a Quick Response Grant from Regional Arts Australia and Regional Arts Victoria.
Born in the US, Caroline Esbenshade lives and works in Shepparton, Victoria where she juggles her curatorial role at Shepparton Art Museum (SAM) with her contemporary arts practice while pursuing her Masters in Art Curatorship at the University of Melbourne.
As SAM’s Curator – Community she looks after the Community Gallery, Children’s Gallery and Artist in Residence spaces. Across her curatorial and arts management career she has worked with a variety of artists and art organisations and is passionate about supporting creatives at all career stages.
In her contemporary art practice, she explores how the narrative of a moment shifts once it has been translated into a painting or photograph, ruminating on memories as physical objects and the experience of love and intimacy. She began experimenting with instant film after a decade hiatus from film photography in 2019, gravitating to it for its alchemy-like ability to distil time.
In 2022 she was a finalist in the Tacit Still Life Prize, Kangaroo Valley Art Prize, Little Things Art Prize and participated in two group exhibitions. She started 2023 off with a solo show of instant film photography, Things that shouldn’t last, at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, Melbourne for which she received a Quick Response Grant from Regional Arts Australia and Regional Arts Victoria.
c.v.
education:
MA in Art Curatorship
University of Melbourne. Melbourne, VIC, AU. (commenced in 2020)
BA in Studio Art / School of Media Art & Design
James Madison University. Harrisonburg, VA, USA. 2011
employment:
Curator - Community, Shepparton Art Museum, Jun 2022 - present
Arts Marketing Officer, Hobsons Bay City Council, Jun 2021 - May 2022
Co-Curator, Wyndham Art Gallery, Dec 2019 - May 2021
Arts Program Support Officer, Wyndham City Council, Feb 2018 - Dec 2019
Managing Director, RedWest Creative Co-op, 2017 - 2018
Instructor & Studio Manager, Saltwater Art Studio, 2016 - 2018
curation:
All Together - Meredith Turnbull & Ross Coulter - Shepparton Art Museum, Nov 2022 - Apr 2023.
Between Scylla and Charybdis | Amphora - Aleisa Miksad - Shepparton Art Museum, Dec 2022 - Feb 2023.
500 Strong - Ponch Hawkes - Shepparton Art Museum, Sep - Nov 2022.
Wyndham Art Prize 2021 - Wyndham Art Gallery, May - Jul 2021.
PINK - Wyndham Art Gallery, Feb - Mar 2021.
LEGACY - Wyndham Art Gallery, Sep - Oct 2020.
Wyndham Art Prize 2020 - Wyndham Art Gallery, May - Jun 2020.
REVEAL - Wyndham Art Gallery, Mar - Apr 2020.
OUT IS OUT - Wyndham Art Gallery, Jan - Mar 2020.
selected exhibitions :
2023
Things that shouldn’t last - Brunswick Street Gallery. Fitzroy, VIC. [solo]
2022
Feast - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
The Salon des Wunder Gym - 2/10 Watton Street, Werribee, VIC.
2021
Wunder Gym: Make Some Noise - Station Place Laneway, Werribee, VIC.
Linden Postcard Show 2021-22 - Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, VIC.
2020
Still Life - No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, VIC.
Tough Love - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
2019
Repoussoir - Trocadero Art Space. Footscray, Melbourne, VIC. [solo]
2019 ILFORD CCP Salon - Centre for Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy, VIC
All You Can Eat - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
2018
Australasia Now - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
2017
RED | redux - Wyndham City Council, Werribee, VIC. (Lead Artist)
Linden Postcard Show - Linden New Art, South Yarra, VIC.
2013
Artful August Village at Leesburg 2013 Juried Art Show - Leesburg, VA.
Regional Juried Exhibition - Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts. Fredericksburg, VA.
Caroline Esbenshade - Photoworks. Leesburg, VA. [solo]
selected awards and grants:
Awarded a ‘Quick Response Grant’ by Regional Arts Australia and Regional Arts Victoria, 2022.
Finalist, Still Life Prize 2022 - Tacit Gallery, Collingwood, VIC.
Finalist, Kangaroo Valley Art Prize 2022 - Kangaroo Valley, NSW.
Finalist, Little Things Art Prize 2022 - Saint Cloche Gallery, Paddington, NSW.
Finalist, Still Life Prize 2021 - Tacit Gallery, Collingwood, VIC.
Finalist, Agendo Art Prize 2019 - David Williams Gallery, Canterbury, VIC.
Awarded a 'Community Strengthening Grant' from Wyndham City Council, 2017.
Finalist, Wyndham Art Prize 2017 - Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, VIC.
Honourable Mention, Regional Juried Show - Fredericksburg Centre for Creative Arts, 2013.
panels and commitees:
Peer Assessor - Creative Projects Fund, Creative Victoria. 2022
Wyndham City’s Arts & Tourism Portfolio Committee, Wyndham City Council. 2017- 2018
organisations:
Member (through workplace), Public Galleries Association of Victoria, 2021 - current
Member, National Association of Visual Artists, 2014 - current
Founder and President, RedWest Creative Co-op, 2017 - 2019
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education:
MA in Art Curatorship
University of Melbourne. Melbourne, VIC, AU. (commenced in 2020)
BA in Studio Art / School of Media Art & Design
James Madison University. Harrisonburg, VA, USA. 2011
employment:
Curator - Community, Shepparton Art Museum, Jun 2022 - present
Arts Marketing Officer, Hobsons Bay City Council, Jun 2021 - May 2022
Co-Curator, Wyndham Art Gallery, Dec 2019 - May 2021
Arts Program Support Officer, Wyndham City Council, Feb 2018 - Dec 2019
Managing Director, RedWest Creative Co-op, 2017 - 2018
Instructor & Studio Manager, Saltwater Art Studio, 2016 - 2018
curation:
All Together - Meredith Turnbull & Ross Coulter - Shepparton Art Museum, Nov 2022 - Apr 2023.
Between Scylla and Charybdis | Amphora - Aleisa Miksad - Shepparton Art Museum, Dec 2022 - Feb 2023.
500 Strong - Ponch Hawkes - Shepparton Art Museum, Sep - Nov 2022.
Wyndham Art Prize 2021 - Wyndham Art Gallery, May - Jul 2021.
PINK - Wyndham Art Gallery, Feb - Mar 2021.
LEGACY - Wyndham Art Gallery, Sep - Oct 2020.
Wyndham Art Prize 2020 - Wyndham Art Gallery, May - Jun 2020.
REVEAL - Wyndham Art Gallery, Mar - Apr 2020.
OUT IS OUT - Wyndham Art Gallery, Jan - Mar 2020.
selected exhibitions :
2023
Things that shouldn’t last - Brunswick Street Gallery. Fitzroy, VIC. [solo]
2022
Feast - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
The Salon des Wunder Gym - 2/10 Watton Street, Werribee, VIC.
2021
Wunder Gym: Make Some Noise - Station Place Laneway, Werribee, VIC.
Linden Postcard Show 2021-22 - Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, VIC.
2020
Still Life - No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne, VIC.
Tough Love - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
2019
Repoussoir - Trocadero Art Space. Footscray, Melbourne, VIC. [solo]
2019 ILFORD CCP Salon - Centre for Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy, VIC
All You Can Eat - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
2018
Australasia Now - Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy, VIC.
2017
RED | redux - Wyndham City Council, Werribee, VIC. (Lead Artist)
Linden Postcard Show - Linden New Art, South Yarra, VIC.
2013
Artful August Village at Leesburg 2013 Juried Art Show - Leesburg, VA.
Regional Juried Exhibition - Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts. Fredericksburg, VA.
Caroline Esbenshade - Photoworks. Leesburg, VA. [solo]
selected awards and grants:
Awarded a ‘Quick Response Grant’ by Regional Arts Australia and Regional Arts Victoria, 2022.
Finalist, Still Life Prize 2022 - Tacit Gallery, Collingwood, VIC.
Finalist, Kangaroo Valley Art Prize 2022 - Kangaroo Valley, NSW.
Finalist, Little Things Art Prize 2022 - Saint Cloche Gallery, Paddington, NSW.
Finalist, Still Life Prize 2021 - Tacit Gallery, Collingwood, VIC.
Finalist, Agendo Art Prize 2019 - David Williams Gallery, Canterbury, VIC.
Awarded a 'Community Strengthening Grant' from Wyndham City Council, 2017.
Finalist, Wyndham Art Prize 2017 - Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, VIC.
Honourable Mention, Regional Juried Show - Fredericksburg Centre for Creative Arts, 2013.
panels and commitees:
Peer Assessor - Creative Projects Fund, Creative Victoria. 2022
Wyndham City’s Arts & Tourism Portfolio Committee, Wyndham City Council. 2017- 2018
organisations:
Member (through workplace), Public Galleries Association of Victoria, 2021 - current
Member, National Association of Visual Artists, 2014 - current
Founder and President, RedWest Creative Co-op, 2017 - 2019
about
contact
Shop︎
Workshops︎