Dolla Merrillees was appointed Director of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in April 2016. Prior to this appointment, Dolla was Director of Curatorial, Collections and Exhibitions at MAAS. She was appointed to this role in January 2014.

Dolla brings a strong track record of curatorial leadership to the role as well as a highly respected reputation for rethinking and representing collections and delivering innovative exhibitions.

She has been instrumental in the Museum’s recent successes which saw a 14% increase in visitation to the Powerhouse Museum in 2015, and over 17 new exhibitions presented. These included a number of Australia exclusives and world premieres.

Dolla is widely published and brings scholarship, national and international partnerships to the position, as well as a strong focus on audiences and opening up opportunities for engagement, participation and access.

Dolla was Associate Director, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) a not-for-profit organisation championing research, education and exhibitions of significant and innovative contemporary visual practice from Australia, the Asia-Pacific and West Asia. Her role included responsibility for the management, strategic development, and implementation of SCAF’s core programs: exhibitions, publications, research, and public and educational programs in addition to financial and human resource management.

During her five-year tenure at SCAF Dolla directed over 16 projects, oversaw the production and design of 17 publications, and developed SCAF’s highly popular and innovative Culture+Idea series hosting over 400 events, workshops, forums, conversations, film screenings and children’s programs. She worked with leading Australian and international artists, architects and designers.

Her career spans managing and developing exhibitions, public and educational programs and collections at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and the Powerhouse Museum; disseminating information on sectoral issues at the Australia Council for the Arts; exhibition management at the Biennale of Sydney.

Board appointments include Sàn Art, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Drummond Street Services, Melbourne.

Dolla is a published author and has written extensively for print and online media.