The former general manager of Country Road Home, Ty Symonds, has been elected as a non-executive director on the board of Craft Victoria.
The appointment was confirmed at Craft Victoria's Annual General Meeting this week, and follows Symonds’ exit from his lead role at Country Road earlier this year, where he managed the brand's Home ranges for the last six years. Since departing the corporate sector, he has established Ty Symonds Studio, an independent practice working at the intersection of art and design.
Symonds has also held top-level design roles at Kmart Australia and Black Milk Clothing.
Craft Victoria was founded in 1970 and supports contemporary craft and making practice across Australia through exhibitions, mentoring, retail, professional development and public programming, covering a range of makers across ceramics, textiles, jewellery, glass, timber and object design.
Symonds said the organisation holds a unique and important position in Australian design and culture.
"The makers it supports, the conversations it generates, and the platform it provides for contemporary craft are genuinely significant,” Symonds said.
“I'm looking forward to contributing to its direction at a moment when the work Craft Victoria does has never been more relevant."
His new appointment also adds to his chair role at the Swinburne University Industry Design Advisory Committee.
Craft Victoria executive director Nicole Durling welcomed Symonds to the board.
“Ty understands both the cultural importance of making and design, as well as the commercial realities, and that perspective complements the skills and experience of our existing board beautifully,” Durling said.
“Craft Victoria exists to champion the makers who are shaping Australian culture from the ground up, and having someone of Ty's experience standing alongside us in that work is genuinely exciting."