Myles Russell-Cook Named Artistic Director and CEO of ACCA Melbourne

TheAustralian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), Melbourne, has namedMyles Russell-Cookas its new artistic director and chief executive officer. Russell-Cook joins the institution from the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Melbourne, where he has worked for the past eight years, most recently as senior curator of Australian and First Nations art. He replaces Max Delany, who in July announced he would leave the kunsthalle in November, after eight years in the dual leadership roles.

“I have always loved and admired ACCA, and I am so excited to take on this new position,” said Russell-Cook in a statement. “Since its inception, ACCA has been transformative for Australian art, particularly by creating opportunities for artists to make daring and ambitious new work, much of which goes on to be acquired by important state and national collections.”

While at NGV, Russell-Cook, who is of Wotjobaluk descent, worked to bring both local and international attention to First Nations artists, notably inaugurating the survey “The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art.” The show, the largest-ever traveling exhibition showcasing modern and contemporary art by Australian First Peoples, will open at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, in October 2025 before appearing at the Denver Art Museum, Colorado; the Portland Art Museum, Oregon; the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts; and Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto. Russell-Cook also contributed to and curated projects including Melbourne Now, the NGV Triennial, and the landmark collection exhibition “QUEER: Stories from the NGV Collection.”

“We are very excited to welcome Myles to the role,” said ACCA chair Terry Wu in a statement. “As a curator, he has a proven ability to transcend the boundaries of what contemporary art can do and be, and has created numerous successful exhibitions that are progressive and scholarly, whilst also accessible and inclusive.” Wu went on to laud Delany for his “consistent amplification of First Nations art and artists,” concluding, “We know that Myles will continue to do this, and more broadly, to champion local and international artists from all walks of life.”