Samantha Comte

Senior Curator, Art Museums
Museums & Collections at the University of Melbourne


Samantha Comte is Senior, Art Museums in the Museums and Collections Department, University of Melbourne. Her previous roles have included; Curator and Exhibition Coordinator at The Ian Potter Museum of Art, University of Melbourne; Acting Senior Curator at Monash University Museum of Art (2015-16), Curator of the Michael Buxton Collection (2006-16), Acting Director Sutton Gallery (2012-13), Director, Gertrude Contemporary (2004-05) and Program Manager, Gertrude Contemporary (1999-2004). She has also worked at the National Gallery of Australia, as an Assistant Curator of International Prints and Drawings. Visual Arts Coordinator of the 1996 and 1998 Next Wave Festival, Melbourne and Program Coordinator for the National Gallery of Victoria Gallery Society. She has undertaken a range of art consultancies and independent curatorial projects including projects for the City of Melbourne public art program, Castlemaine Visual Arts Biennial 2011 and Brimbank City Council. She has been on a number of committees and boards including; Chair of NETS Victoria, Chair and panel member of Arts Victoria, Arts Development fund; Stonnington City Council Acquisition committee and Arts House, City of Melbourne. She has also been on a number of judging panels for art prizes including; SPLASH, McClelland Contemporary Watercolour Award, Bayside Acquisitive Art Prize and the National works on paper art prize, Mornington Art Gallery. Samantha has curated a range of exhibitions at the Ian Potter Museum of Art including; Stieg Persson: Polyphonic, co-curated with Kelly Gellatly; All the better to see you with: Fairy tales transformedLove of beauty, love of country: The collection of Dr Samuel Arthur Ewing, co-curated Jacquleine Doughty; Basil Sellers Art Prize 5Don’t Be Too Polite: Posters and Activism, co-curated Alyce Neal. Other recent curatorial projects include; Hiding in Plain Sight: A selection of works from the Michael Buxton Collection, Bendigo Art Gallery; A Time like This, Margaret Lawrence Gallery and A Short Ride in a Fast Machine: Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces 1985-2005, GCAS.

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