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About Us

Flying Arts is one of Queensland’s leading arts organisations, connecting regional, rural and remote communities through the visual arts for more than 55 years. We foster the appreciation, practice and professional development of the visual arts as a lifetime interest or career path, and a creative life for all Queenslanders, wherever they live.

Our Vision

Regional Queensland is a place where artists, creativity and communities thrive.

Our Purpose

We connect artists, educators and communities through learning, creative opportunities and partnerships that strengthen regional Queensland.

Our Story

Flying Arts was founded in 1971 by celebrated artist and aviator Mervyn Moriarty OAM. After winning an art prize, Mervyn used the money to learn to fly, enabling him to deliver art classes to Queensland’s most remote communities. That pioneering spirit lives on today. We deliver transformative arts experiences, professional development and education that connects Queenslanders through the arts, no matter the postcode.

What We Do

Explore the ways Flying Arts supports artists and communities across regional Queensland.

Patrons

Patron: Governor of Queensland, Her Excellency Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM

Cultural Patrons: Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax AC

People

Board

Lorraine Dinsey
Lorraine
Dinsey

Lorraine began her professional career in education, teaching at both primary and secondary levels before lecturing in drama at the tertiary level. She went on to build a leadership career in public policy, delivering whole-of-government strategic initiatives across social issues and information and communication technologies (ICT).

She enjoys drawing together people with diverse agendas and empowering them to find common ground on which to build effective working relationships.

She later transitioned to the private sector, where she established the Queensland office of a national cyber security company, further broadening her leadership and operational expertise.

Lorraine has an academic background in business administration, project management, applied finance and investment, as well as education and teaching. She brings significant experience across not-for-profit and professional organisations in the arts, social justice, and education sectors.

She currently serves as Chair of Flying Arts and is a Producer/Collaborator with Summer Shack Pty Ltd, a Queensland-based creative collective working across film, television, theatre, and community projects. In this role, she helps develop stories that reflect a range of real-life experiences, with a focus on voices that are often overlooked.

Chair MBA

Jan Manton
Jan Manton

Jan is Director of Jan Manton Gallery, a leading art gallery located in the wool store precinct of Teneriffe. Jan established the gallery in 2004 with the vision of supporting artists who contribute to the vibrant and dynamic discourse on contemporary art in Australia. The gallery’s exhibition program encourages collectors to connect through artist talks, exhibition openings and panel discussions.

Jan is a long time supporter of the visual arts in Queensland. Jan is currently Vice-Chair on the Queensland Children’s Hospital Arts Program board. Jan was previously the President of Flying Arts, and held positions in other not-for-profit organisations including Vice-Chair of Arts from the Margins, member of the QUT Art Collection Committee, member of the Steering Committee for the Harries Digital Art Award, and member of Caboolture Shire Council Art Collection Committee.

Jan was appointed as Chair of the fundraising campaign for the QUT Art Museum in 2004, and supports young artists through the Byran-Manton Art Prize for QUT Visual Art Graduates.

Deputy Chair

Lee Horobin
Lee Horobin

Since 2000, Lee has worked at executive level in finance and company secretarial roles across a wide range of industries, including management consulting, the public sector, petroleum, commercial property, construction, agriculture, biotechnology, IT and cloud-based solutions, not-for-profit, transport, mining and fintech.

He has held these roles across organisation types ranging from listed international corporations to large and small private companies, and has extensive experience in statutory reporting across multiple jurisdictions, as well as designing board and management reports for both historical and forecasting purposes.

Lee’s expertise extends to financial modelling, contract negotiation and management, MIS project management, system efficiency and process improvement, and policy development. He holds Bachelor and Honours degrees in Accounting and an MBA in Marketing, has completed the AICD course, and is a qualified member of both CPA Australia and the Governance Institute of Australia.

Secretary

Fraser Power

Fraser is Head of Advocacy – Generation at Origin Energy, where he manages advocacy for the company’s generation development projects. He brings more than two decades of experience in corporate affairs, stakeholder engagement and government relations across the energy, resources and community sectors, including senior roles at Australia Pacific LNG and Queensland Rail.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts/Law from the University of Queensland and an MBA in Human Resource Management from CQUniversity. Fraser has a long history of community contribution, including 17 years as a Director of the Multicultural Development Association and ongoing involvement with the Queensland Program of Assisting Survivors of Torture and Trauma.

Treasurer

Lynn
Rainbow-Reid

Lynn Rainbow-Reid AM is the fourth-generation member of her family to ‘tread the boards’. Wishing to please both sides of the family, she decided early in life to be a lady Judge by day and dance Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at night! A 33 year career on stage, film, TV and radio followed, in England, the US and of course, Australia. She was a drama student at the Independent Theatre and is still most widely remembered for her part as Sonia, the Chemist, in Number 96.

Lynn has served on the boards of the Actors Benevolent funds of both New South Wales and Queensland for many years. In 2024 she was awarded the Alan Edwards Lifetime Achievement award for Outstanding Contribution to the Performing Arts in Queensland. She created the Rainbow Reid Endowment to support the acting students at Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries, now in its 17th year.

Lynn worked for many years for the Judge Rainbow Fund for released prisoners and is now Patron of the Fund. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2016, for services to the Arts, Social Justice and Philanthropy.

Director AM

Trent Forno
Trent Forno

Trent Forno is a partner at MinterEllison who specialises in employment law. He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney. He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1998 and of the High Court of Australia in 2002.

Since becoming a partner in 2005, Trent has served in a number of leadership roles at MinterEllison, including Staff Partner, Office Managing Partner and National Business Unit Leader of Workplace. He remains an active member of MinterEllison’s community investment program and served in the role of Pro Bono partner in the Brisbane Office in 2017. Trent is passionate about leading with purpose and creating an environment which leverages the diverse contributions of every person in the team.

Trent and his wife Ingrid have three children. He is excited to join the Board of Flying Arts Inc and is passionate about its charter of delivering visual arts projects and services to regional and remote Queensland.

Director

Rebecca McDuff
Rebecca McDuff

With over 15 years of experience in the arts and cultural sector, Rebecca is committed to fostering vibrant, inclusive, and high‑impact creative communities. As Director of Bundaberg Regional Galleries—located on the lands of the Taribelang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang and Bailai peoples—she has led strategic growth in the exhibition program, collection development, and artist engagement initiatives.

Her work is driven by a deep belief in the power of regional arts. Rebecca is dedicated to amplifying the voices of regional artists, strengthening creative opportunities and ensuring that gallery experiences are accessible, authentic, and connected to community.

Prior to her career in the arts, Rebecca worked for two decades as a psychologist and in management roles across state and federally funded community organisations in regional areas. This background has given her specialist knowledge of community engagement and leadership, and she is passionate about meaningful community-centred programs.

Rebecca is an active contributor to sector development, known for mentoring emerging and established artists and arts workers, and for delivering presentations at State and National Conferences on themes including authentic gallery experiences for children, the complexities of regional arts practice, and the importance of meaningful engagement within cultural spaces.

Director

Pat Murphy
Pat Murphy

Pat Murphy is the President of the Australian Government Primary Principals Association (AGPPA), the national voice representing more than 7,000 school leaders across 5,200 government primary schools in Australia. An educator for over 37 years, Pat has spent the past 32 years in school leadership across a diverse range of contexts.

Pat’s leadership experience spans one-teacher schools, leading remote schools, and a deputy principal role in a rapidly growing Gold Coast school. He later led large primary schools in the inner suburbs of Brisbane for 14 years and in his last school role served as Executive Principal of Woodcrest State College, a Prep–Year 12 campus with over 1,800 students and a trade training centre with over 800 students.

Pat is also the elected President of the Queensland Association of State School Principals (QASSP), representing more than 1,300 principals and the 337,000 students they serve. Prior to becoming President, he served seven years as QASSP Vice-President and five years as AGPPA Treasurer, helping guide the organisation through the challenges of the COVID period.

Pat is passionate about ensuring schools provide a well-rounded education that engages every student. He strongly believes that strong primary schools form the educational foundation of Australia and that the voices of government primary schools must be central to national education policy and reform.

Director

Team

Toni Palmer

CEO

Michael Clarke

Finance Lead

Harris Wakeling

Marketing & Development Manager

Alex Grady

Program & Exhibition Manager

Leanne McIntyre

Regional Arts Fund Manager

Robyn Fernandez

Regional Arts Advisor (RASN/Flying Arts)

Felix Reid

By Request Coordinator

Dr Holly Arden

Consultant

Claudia Williams

By Request Consultant

Supporters

Flying Arts is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, and by the generosity of corporate partners and philanthropic supporters. Flying Arts is a not-for-profit association with DGR and Tax Charity Concession status.

Our Supporters

Government Partner

  • Queensland Government logo

Award Partners

Trusts & Foundations

Tim Fairfax Family Foundation
Clem Jones Foundation
John T Reid Charitable Trusts

Whybird Foundation

Education Partners

Industry Partners

Venue Partners

  • Jan Manton Gallery logo
  • Fireworks Gallery logo

Media Partners

Mervyn Moriarty Circle Members

Dr Pamela Greet & Nicholas Beaton

Anna Palmer

John Reid AO & Lynn Rainbow-Reid AM

Dr Sue Urquhart & Dr Phil Aitken

All Supporters of Flying Arts

Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax AC

Tim Fairfax Family Foundation

Curavis Fund

Morgans Foundation

John T Reid Foundation

D’Lan Davidson

Toni Palmer

Eddy Garcia-Grant

Aliya Hutchison

Dr Les Irwig

Simone Weigall

Doug Mcneill

Tina Cooper

Paul Matthews

Luke McCrae

John & Linda Kypriadakis

Jim Varghese AM

Nathan Schumacher & Shane Snow

Carol McCormack

Kristine Parikka

David & Veronica Muir

Daisy Bradford

Jenny Loveday

Maree Cameron

Avi Amesbury

Barbara Tynan

John O’Toole & Robby Nason

Katherine Schaefer

Caroline Pigerre

Tanya Rosewarne

Annual Reports

Browse our annual reports below.