STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS
NES would not be possible without the efforts and dedication of the chairperson, director and board members. The NES team works together to develop the residency’s vision, problem-solve current challenges, and initiate a variety of projects for the benefit of the organisation and the community.
Chairperson - Hrafnhildur Sigurðardóttir
Hrafnhildur Sigurðardóttir lives and works in Reykjavík. She graduated from the textile department of The Icelandic College of Art and Crafts in 1986 and an MFA from the Sculpture department of the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2000.
Hrafnhildur has participated in over 100 group exhibitions in Europe and the United States and has had sixteen solo exhibitions in six countries. In 2005 she was awarded “The Nordic Award in Textiles.” She became the director of the Textile Center in Blönduós in Northwestern Iceland in 2007. In 2008 Hrafnhildur was the founding director for the NES Artist Residency. She moved on to become the Chairman of the Board of SÍM – The Association of Icelandic Visual Artists in 2010, and has been a board member of NES since then.
Director - Vicki O'Shea
Vicki has been the Director of NES since 2014. Vicki hails from Western Australia and has extensive experience in the arts, teaching, and management. With a background in art and printmaking, she has taught at tertiary and secondary levels. Vicki was a senior lecturer for Curtin University, managing 9 regional education centres. During her time at Curtin Vicki also facilitated the delivery of its Jeta art degree program for incarcerated students and was a course writer and visual culture lecturer for Curtin University’s online degree program with Open University Australia.
Looking for a sea change, Vicki relocated to Iceland in 2010.
Board Member - Eva Guðbjartsdóttir
Eva Guðbjartsdóttir has a diverse education in various fields. Eva is a practical nurse, event manager, ranger and has a BA-degree in tourism. Her interest in art and culture has been in her blood for a long time and she has always had one foot in the cultural world. Eva was chairman of the theater in Sólheimar as well as being the sitting chairman of the Blönduós Theater and now NES Art Residency. Eva is a co-director of Brimrót co-op which is a cultural center in Stokkseyri and has been involved in all kinds of events over the years, such as þorrablót, festivals, concerts, book readings, art workshops, and ukulele courses. Eva is excited to do good work for NES and can’t wait to take the challenges.
Board Member - Hanna Dóra Björnsdóttir
Hanna joined the NES team in 2022 through the Icelandic Regional Development Institute (Byggðastofnun). Hanna has a diverse experience in the labour market from the school system and as a previous consultant in vocational rehabilitation in the region of Northwest Iceland over to Byggðastofnun development division.
Arts hasn’t been her main thing but Hanna is highly interested in culture, development, and residence maintenance in the rural area. Hanna is interested in NES Art Residency’s impact on society and the artists as well, which hopefully increases everyone’s possibilities in a positive way in the future.
Board Member - Kristbjörg Dúfa Ragnheiðardóttir
Kristbjörg Dúfa Ragnheiðardóttir, a native of Skagaströnd, has lived in Reykjavík for several years and spent one year in Ohio. As a certified practical nurse and a devoted art enthusiast, most of her close friends are artists of various disciplines. She actively engages in attending music and art events during her leisure time and pursues her own creative endeavors in art and poetry. Returning to Skagaströnd in 2020, she took up the role of art instructor at the local Elementary school, Höfðaskóli. Kristbjörg finds immense joy in creating art projects for children, particularly when collaborating with artists at the residency. She organizes art workshops for children in Skagaströnd and neighboring towns, channeling her passion for nurturing young artistic talents.
Alternate Board Member - Signý Ósk Richter
Signý Ósk Richter was raised in Reykjavík but moved to Skagaströnd in 1983. Signý is the Operations Manager at Landsbankinn in Skagaströnd. She has been on the board of the NES Artist Residency since its founding in 2008. During this time Signý has witnessed an increase in cultural life in Skagaströnd through the creative opportunities for young and old initiated by NES.
Alternate Board Member - Rachel Lin Weaver
Rachel Lin Weaver is an educator, writer, and transdisciplinary artist whose works span video, installation, sound, social practice, and performance. Her research and artworks explore Arctic community resilience, memory, Indigenous sovereignty, collisions of the human and nonhuman, ecological systems, and landscapes and people in flux. Weaver’s interests relate directly to her upbringing in wilderness areas and remote communities in poverty. She finds many useful metaphors in the natural world.