Chelle Destefano - Artist CV
Studies
2020 - 2021 Masters of Contemporary Art, Victorian College of Arts, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
2001 - 2006 Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design – O’Halloran Hill TAFE SA Campus, Adelaide
Awards/Scholarships
2022 Creator's Fund 2022 for a new dance performance
Regional Arts Victoria grant for Sustaining Creative workers
2021 Regional Arts Victoria major grant for What I Wish I Told You collaboration project
Graduate Women Victoria scholarship (Lara Irvine/Meg Endersbee scholarship), Melbourne
2020 Winner of the Lake Art Prize - an acquisitive award
Australian Arts Council Innovation Games, First place winner
Australian Arts Council grant - funding for Deaf Voices performance and textile project
Art House commission awarded with a grant for Art House Housewarming
2019 Nomination for the Australia Council of the Arts Leadership
Arts Activated Grant recipient by Moreland Council for Auslan Movement Performance
Creative Victoria grant Recipient for Mentorship and Deaf arts project development
Selected for Testing Grounds Test Sites workshop for my project development
Recipient of Creative Victoria grant for mentorship and Deaf arts project development
2018 Recipient of the Regional Arts Victoria Community Arts Grants for Bushfires of 2009
Second prize winner in the major QLD Deaf arts exhibition
Recipient of the microgrant for the Fringe Festival Melbourne
Regional Arts Victoria grant recipient for the Sydney Other Art Fair
2016 Australian Arts Council grant - funding for Paris and London exhibitions
Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding for Wait of World Exhibition in Melbourne
2015 Arts SA Makers and Presenter’s Grant for Blue Ghosts Exhibition in Melbourne, March 2015
2014 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding to attend Arts Activated Conference, October 2014
Dawn Slade Faull Award - the painter, Adelaide
2012 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding for Vintage is Good solo exhibition, Adelaide
Solo Exhibitions
2021 Safe Space II Performance, July in the Common Rooms, Melbourne
Listen!, Art House Housewarming commissioned exhibition, Art House, Melbourne
2020 The Deaf Culture exhibition, Incinerator Gallery - Boadle Hall, Melbourne
2019 The Auslan Movement show (performance and exhibition), Melbourne Fringe Festival
Bushfires of 2009 Abstracts, commissioned by Regional Arts Victoria, Wonthaggi ArtSpace Gallery, Wonthaggi, Victoria
2018 FernArtz Gallery, Moon in Exhibition, Coburg, Melbourne
Experimental Art Installation Exhibition of The Cot story, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Avondale Heights Library Gallery space
2017 Berlin Pop Up Exhibition, Enchanted Collection with Arts Access Australia, Brotafabrik Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Volkys Collection, SALA Festival, Dulwich Bakery, Dulwich, South Australia
2016 Chapter One Hotel, Chelle's Collections in UK, Bath, UK
Chelle's Collections in Paris, Galerie Metanoia, Paris, France
Wait of World II, SALA Festival, City Library, Rundle Mall, Adelaide South Australia
Wait of the World, Gasworks, Art Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
2015 Venice Biennale, Collection of Blue Ghost artworks, Italy, Ca' Zanardi Palezzo
Art Images Gallery, Solo exhibition featuring Volky’s Adventures II, Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia,
Inking History, invite by West Torrens Council Gallery, illustrations of the heritage buildings of Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia
Roam the Blue Ghosts I, House of Bricks, Collingwood, Melbourne
2014 Semaphore Art Walk, Semaphore Main Road in conjunction with Semaphore Street Assoc, Adelaide, SA
My Home Town, watercolour drawings Port Noarlunga places, Port Noarlunga Arts Centre, SA
2012 Vintage is Good, collection of watercolour illustrations of vintage items and buildings, Urban Cow Studio, Adelaide
Group Exhibitions
2022 What I Wish I’d Told You, Collaborative Deaf project with Claire Bridge, Realm ArtSpace
What I Wish I’d Told You, Collaborative Deaf project with Claire Bridge, Hyphen, Wodonga
What I Wish I’d Told You, Collaborative Deaf project with Claire Bridge, FCAC, Footscray
Finalist for OptiKA: Kingston Photographic Award, Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, Melbourne
Tenancy, exhibition of 12 women artists curated by Tracey Lamb, South Yarra, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Omnia Art Prize, St Kevin’s College, Toorak, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Banyule Art Prize, Art Gallery 275, Ivanhoe, Melbourne
The IRL+URL Exhibition, Queertech.IO, Midsummer Festival 2022, Melbourne
Face-to-Face performance, collaboration with Elvin Lam and Melody Shotade, Midsummer
2021 Master of Contemporary Art Graduate Exhibition, VCA, Melbourne University, Melbourne
Sawtooth ARI Members' Exhibition, Sawtooth ARI Gallery, Tasmania
Microcosm, 2021 Craft Contemporary Satellite Program, Clan Collective, Melbourne
Face Me: Art of Deafhood, Lismore Regional Gallery, Lismore, NSW
From Where I Stand #3, Masters of Contemporary Art 2nd year Exhibition, VCA Art Space, Melbourne
Memory Lane Public Art, Midsumma Festival and Metro Tunnel Creative Program, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for Footscray Art Prize, Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria
Art House Housewarming commissioned exhibition, Art House, Melbourne
Siena Art Institute Residency Program Exhibition, Siena Art Institute gallery, Siena, Italy (postponed indefinitely maybe to 2023 - 2024)
2020 Finalist Exhibition for Lake Art Prize, Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie - Winner
Finalist Exhibition for Noel Counihan Commemorative Award, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
Finalist exhibition for Fisher's Ghost Award, Campbelltown, NSW
IAN annual Art Exhibition, the Inclusive Arts Network, Geelong, Victoria
Zero O'Clock Exhibition, CoVA (Centre of Visual Arts), VCA, Melbourne
Finalist exhibition for Incinerator Art Award, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
Master of Contemporary Art first year show, 3x3, VCA (online on instagram @vcaartspace)
The Emerging Writers Festival film poetry exhibition; co-curated by the festival & Poetry Film Portal
The Platform 2020, Arts Festival - Rivana Arts, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Midusmma Aust Post Art Prize Finalist Exhibition, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Axiom: A Reimagined Reality, for International Day of People with Disability, SpACE@Collins gallery, Melbourne
Linden Postcard Show Art Prize, Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for Noel Counihan Commemorative Award, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
KernArt Art Prize exhibition, Kernot, Victoria
Selected Exhibition, Axiom: A Reimagined Reality, SpACE@Collins, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Prize, Noosa Regional Gallery, QLD
Selected Catalogue Exhibition of 10 artists for Ignite by Rotary Club / Arts Access Victoria, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition in the Banyule Art Prize, Hatch Contemporary Arts Space, Ivanhoe, Melbourne
2018 November - The Flow Festival, The Cot Story Extended
The Other Fair, Melbourne, Australia
The Skin Gallery show duo with Luke King. Exhibition of two Deaf artists
The Other Fair, Sydney, Australia
ArtSpace Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia
Mornington Art Show, Victoria, Australia
Me & Baby Moon portrait
2017 Rome Arts Expo, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, Me & Baby Moon portrait shown in this
Residencies and Development
2022 August - printmaking residency at Baldessian Press Studios
2023 June - residency at Siena Art Institute, Siena, Italy (postponed - TBA)
2023 June-July - Collaboration with music school, The Inspiration Orchestra, Scotland, UK (postponed - TBA)
2020 Deaf Community Advisor - supported by City of Melbourne Quick Response Grant
2020 Creative Development residency for performance, Brunswick Mechanics Institute (postponed, date TBA)
2019 - 2020 Oct-Jan selected as one of the 5 artists for Artist in Residency at Heritage Hill, Dandenong
2019 Sept - One of three judges for a juried art show at VDC (Victorian Deaf College)
2019 - 2020 Mentorship and Deaf Culture Art Project development
2019 Cultural Threads, Nebula, Dandenong, textile collaborations with Warren Loorham, Karen
Walker, Rhian Hinkley and Kim Charman
2019 April - Testing Grounds - Test Sites workshop
2017 Berlin - Workshop teaching collaboration with Corry Siw Mirski, leading tour exhibition and my duo exhibition with Corry
Publications
2022 The Philip Island Advertiser 20 July 2022 - https://www.pisra.com.au/community/creators-grant-to-local-artist
2021 ABC 25 June 2021 - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-25/people-with-disabilities-not-supported-auslan-australia-talk/100197524
2020 Review of my Melbourne Fringe show performance in The Age, 30 Nov 2020 (short one paragraph review)
https://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/it-was-a-heroic-effort-but-did-the-online-fringe-really-cut-it-20201130-p56j56.html?fbclid=IwAR0JC05E78fsnTCGNs97Mq5sFV-z4E0zICh_ykgLXWJ67w_5abNjXAmdV9Q
2020 Interview on winning the Australia Council for the Arts National Innovation Games
https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/arts-in-daily-life/artist-stories/national-innovation-games-chelle-destefano/
2019 Article in il Globo (Italian paper, Melbourne) on my Auslan Sculpture Performance, Monday 9 Sept 2019
2019 Published story article in Herald Sun / Moreland Leader paper on my upcoming Auslan Movement performance for the fringe
Dated 4 September 2019
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north-west/fringe-show-from-artist-chelle-destefano-to-teach-audiences-about-sign-language/news-story/f40e4ad11504a63cfcc531ce8c4a800e
2019 Winning Prize in QLD Deaf Services Art Prize and face of the QLD Deaf Lottery
http://tiny.cc/lyl9az
2019 Newspaper (Bass News) an article on my arts career success
https://www.basscoastpost.com/liane-arno/beyond-words?fbclid=IwAR3ij5yhzh7_n5Z9tEXicLmWqXfhviDRLIleonQ258QUA4AZansqx6rLxc0
2019 Winning publication of my work on Arts Access Australia for 2019
https://artsaccessaustralia.org/success-stories/our-featured-artworks-for-2019/
2018 Write up on my exhibition in the Sydney Other Art Fair on Accessible Arts website
http://www.aarts.net.au/whats-on/the-other-art-fair/
2017 Feature article by art packing specialists Pack and Send as one of their customers
https://blog.packsend.com.au/chelle-destefano
2017 My artwork on coffee cup from Dulwich featured in Herald Sun
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/envirofriendly-recyclable-coffee-cup-launches-in-melbourne/news-story/461f3c3b60d2d85a4691c3bc7fc5b3a6
2017 Chelle's artworks on coffee cups at Dulwich bakeries featured in Adelaide's Advertiser 24 May 2017
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/dulwich-bakery-outlets-feature-sala-art-works-on-collectable-coffee-cups/news-story/11f41005c54f93d19bf514711288605f
Studies
2020 - 2021 Masters of Contemporary Art, Victorian College of Arts, University of Melbourne, Melbourne
2001 - 2006 Bachelor of Visual Arts and Applied Design – O’Halloran Hill TAFE SA Campus, Adelaide
Awards/Scholarships
2022 Creator's Fund 2022 for a new dance performance
Regional Arts Victoria grant for Sustaining Creative workers
2021 Regional Arts Victoria major grant for What I Wish I Told You collaboration project
Graduate Women Victoria scholarship (Lara Irvine/Meg Endersbee scholarship), Melbourne
2020 Winner of the Lake Art Prize - an acquisitive award
Australian Arts Council Innovation Games, First place winner
Australian Arts Council grant - funding for Deaf Voices performance and textile project
Art House commission awarded with a grant for Art House Housewarming
2019 Nomination for the Australia Council of the Arts Leadership
Arts Activated Grant recipient by Moreland Council for Auslan Movement Performance
Creative Victoria grant Recipient for Mentorship and Deaf arts project development
Selected for Testing Grounds Test Sites workshop for my project development
Recipient of Creative Victoria grant for mentorship and Deaf arts project development
2018 Recipient of the Regional Arts Victoria Community Arts Grants for Bushfires of 2009
Second prize winner in the major QLD Deaf arts exhibition
Recipient of the microgrant for the Fringe Festival Melbourne
Regional Arts Victoria grant recipient for the Sydney Other Art Fair
2016 Australian Arts Council grant - funding for Paris and London exhibitions
Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding for Wait of World Exhibition in Melbourne
2015 Arts SA Makers and Presenter’s Grant for Blue Ghosts Exhibition in Melbourne, March 2015
2014 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding to attend Arts Activated Conference, October 2014
Dawn Slade Faull Award - the painter, Adelaide
2012 Richard Llewellyn Arts grant – funding for Vintage is Good solo exhibition, Adelaide
Solo Exhibitions
2021 Safe Space II Performance, July in the Common Rooms, Melbourne
Listen!, Art House Housewarming commissioned exhibition, Art House, Melbourne
2020 The Deaf Culture exhibition, Incinerator Gallery - Boadle Hall, Melbourne
2019 The Auslan Movement show (performance and exhibition), Melbourne Fringe Festival
Bushfires of 2009 Abstracts, commissioned by Regional Arts Victoria, Wonthaggi ArtSpace Gallery, Wonthaggi, Victoria
2018 FernArtz Gallery, Moon in Exhibition, Coburg, Melbourne
Experimental Art Installation Exhibition of The Cot story, Melbourne Fringe Festival, Avondale Heights Library Gallery space
2017 Berlin Pop Up Exhibition, Enchanted Collection with Arts Access Australia, Brotafabrik Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Volkys Collection, SALA Festival, Dulwich Bakery, Dulwich, South Australia
2016 Chapter One Hotel, Chelle's Collections in UK, Bath, UK
Chelle's Collections in Paris, Galerie Metanoia, Paris, France
Wait of World II, SALA Festival, City Library, Rundle Mall, Adelaide South Australia
Wait of the World, Gasworks, Art Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria
2015 Venice Biennale, Collection of Blue Ghost artworks, Italy, Ca' Zanardi Palezzo
Art Images Gallery, Solo exhibition featuring Volky’s Adventures II, Norwood, Adelaide, South Australia,
Inking History, invite by West Torrens Council Gallery, illustrations of the heritage buildings of Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia
Roam the Blue Ghosts I, House of Bricks, Collingwood, Melbourne
2014 Semaphore Art Walk, Semaphore Main Road in conjunction with Semaphore Street Assoc, Adelaide, SA
My Home Town, watercolour drawings Port Noarlunga places, Port Noarlunga Arts Centre, SA
2012 Vintage is Good, collection of watercolour illustrations of vintage items and buildings, Urban Cow Studio, Adelaide
Group Exhibitions
2022 What I Wish I’d Told You, Collaborative Deaf project with Claire Bridge, Realm ArtSpace
What I Wish I’d Told You, Collaborative Deaf project with Claire Bridge, Hyphen, Wodonga
What I Wish I’d Told You, Collaborative Deaf project with Claire Bridge, FCAC, Footscray
Finalist for OptiKA: Kingston Photographic Award, Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Wyndham Art Prize, Wyndham Art Gallery, Werribee, Melbourne
Tenancy, exhibition of 12 women artists curated by Tracey Lamb, South Yarra, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Omnia Art Prize, St Kevin’s College, Toorak, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Banyule Art Prize, Art Gallery 275, Ivanhoe, Melbourne
The IRL+URL Exhibition, Queertech.IO, Midsummer Festival 2022, Melbourne
Face-to-Face performance, collaboration with Elvin Lam and Melody Shotade, Midsummer
2021 Master of Contemporary Art Graduate Exhibition, VCA, Melbourne University, Melbourne
Sawtooth ARI Members' Exhibition, Sawtooth ARI Gallery, Tasmania
Microcosm, 2021 Craft Contemporary Satellite Program, Clan Collective, Melbourne
Face Me: Art of Deafhood, Lismore Regional Gallery, Lismore, NSW
From Where I Stand #3, Masters of Contemporary Art 2nd year Exhibition, VCA Art Space, Melbourne
Memory Lane Public Art, Midsumma Festival and Metro Tunnel Creative Program, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for Footscray Art Prize, Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria
Art House Housewarming commissioned exhibition, Art House, Melbourne
Siena Art Institute Residency Program Exhibition, Siena Art Institute gallery, Siena, Italy (postponed indefinitely maybe to 2023 - 2024)
2020 Finalist Exhibition for Lake Art Prize, Museum of Art and Culture, Lake Macquarie - Winner
Finalist Exhibition for Noel Counihan Commemorative Award, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
Finalist exhibition for Fisher's Ghost Award, Campbelltown, NSW
IAN annual Art Exhibition, the Inclusive Arts Network, Geelong, Victoria
Zero O'Clock Exhibition, CoVA (Centre of Visual Arts), VCA, Melbourne
Finalist exhibition for Incinerator Art Award, Incinerator Gallery, Melbourne
Master of Contemporary Art first year show, 3x3, VCA (online on instagram @vcaartspace)
The Emerging Writers Festival film poetry exhibition; co-curated by the festival & Poetry Film Portal
The Platform 2020, Arts Festival - Rivana Arts, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Midusmma Aust Post Art Prize Finalist Exhibition, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Axiom: A Reimagined Reality, for International Day of People with Disability, SpACE@Collins gallery, Melbourne
Linden Postcard Show Art Prize, Linden New Art Gallery, St Kilda, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for Noel Counihan Commemorative Award, Counihan Gallery, Melbourne
KernArt Art Prize exhibition, Kernot, Victoria
Selected Exhibition, Axiom: A Reimagined Reality, SpACE@Collins, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition for the Lyn McCrea Memorial Drawing Prize, Noosa Regional Gallery, QLD
Selected Catalogue Exhibition of 10 artists for Ignite by Rotary Club / Arts Access Victoria, No Vacancy Gallery, Melbourne
Finalist Exhibition in the Banyule Art Prize, Hatch Contemporary Arts Space, Ivanhoe, Melbourne
2018 November - The Flow Festival, The Cot Story Extended
The Other Fair, Melbourne, Australia
The Skin Gallery show duo with Luke King. Exhibition of two Deaf artists
The Other Fair, Sydney, Australia
ArtSpace Wonthaggi, Victoria, Australia
Mornington Art Show, Victoria, Australia
Me & Baby Moon portrait
2017 Rome Arts Expo, Vatican City, Rome, Italy, Me & Baby Moon portrait shown in this
Residencies and Development
2022 August - printmaking residency at Baldessian Press Studios
2023 June - residency at Siena Art Institute, Siena, Italy (postponed - TBA)
2023 June-July - Collaboration with music school, The Inspiration Orchestra, Scotland, UK (postponed - TBA)
2020 Deaf Community Advisor - supported by City of Melbourne Quick Response Grant
2020 Creative Development residency for performance, Brunswick Mechanics Institute (postponed, date TBA)
2019 - 2020 Oct-Jan selected as one of the 5 artists for Artist in Residency at Heritage Hill, Dandenong
2019 Sept - One of three judges for a juried art show at VDC (Victorian Deaf College)
2019 - 2020 Mentorship and Deaf Culture Art Project development
2019 Cultural Threads, Nebula, Dandenong, textile collaborations with Warren Loorham, Karen
Walker, Rhian Hinkley and Kim Charman
2019 April - Testing Grounds - Test Sites workshop
2017 Berlin - Workshop teaching collaboration with Corry Siw Mirski, leading tour exhibition and my duo exhibition with Corry
Publications
2022 The Philip Island Advertiser 20 July 2022 - https://www.pisra.com.au/community/creators-grant-to-local-artist
2021 ABC 25 June 2021 - https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-25/people-with-disabilities-not-supported-auslan-australia-talk/100197524
2020 Review of my Melbourne Fringe show performance in The Age, 30 Nov 2020 (short one paragraph review)
https://www.theage.com.au/culture/theatre/it-was-a-heroic-effort-but-did-the-online-fringe-really-cut-it-20201130-p56j56.html?fbclid=IwAR0JC05E78fsnTCGNs97Mq5sFV-z4E0zICh_ykgLXWJ67w_5abNjXAmdV9Q
2020 Interview on winning the Australia Council for the Arts National Innovation Games
https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/arts-in-daily-life/artist-stories/national-innovation-games-chelle-destefano/
2019 Article in il Globo (Italian paper, Melbourne) on my Auslan Sculpture Performance, Monday 9 Sept 2019
2019 Published story article in Herald Sun / Moreland Leader paper on my upcoming Auslan Movement performance for the fringe
Dated 4 September 2019
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north-west/fringe-show-from-artist-chelle-destefano-to-teach-audiences-about-sign-language/news-story/f40e4ad11504a63cfcc531ce8c4a800e
2019 Winning Prize in QLD Deaf Services Art Prize and face of the QLD Deaf Lottery
http://tiny.cc/lyl9az
2019 Newspaper (Bass News) an article on my arts career success
https://www.basscoastpost.com/liane-arno/beyond-words?fbclid=IwAR3ij5yhzh7_n5Z9tEXicLmWqXfhviDRLIleonQ258QUA4AZansqx6rLxc0
2019 Winning publication of my work on Arts Access Australia for 2019
https://artsaccessaustralia.org/success-stories/our-featured-artworks-for-2019/
2018 Write up on my exhibition in the Sydney Other Art Fair on Accessible Arts website
http://www.aarts.net.au/whats-on/the-other-art-fair/
2017 Feature article by art packing specialists Pack and Send as one of their customers
https://blog.packsend.com.au/chelle-destefano
2017 My artwork on coffee cup from Dulwich featured in Herald Sun
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/envirofriendly-recyclable-coffee-cup-launches-in-melbourne/news-story/461f3c3b60d2d85a4691c3bc7fc5b3a6
2017 Chelle's artworks on coffee cups at Dulwich bakeries featured in Adelaide's Advertiser 24 May 2017
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/dulwich-bakery-outlets-feature-sala-art-works-on-collectable-coffee-cups/news-story/11f41005c54f93d19bf514711288605f
