Our Organisation
The Museum of Lost Cities is an organisation with two goals. First, like all museums, it is dedicated to preserving and educating about history. But second, it is dedicated to examining how we preserve and educate about history.
The passage of time leaves gaps in our knowledge. We will never know all there is to know about history, and that becomes more true the further and further we get from the time in which that history took place. The Museum of Lost Cities aims to present history in a way that acknowledges these gaps, and gives as much importance to the information we cannot know as the information we do know.
Since the Museum is still small, and so is its collection, for the present, the Museum will be presenting exhibitions and events in partnership with other organisations. We have several upcoming deals in the works with various Melbourne City groups that we’re all very excited about!
Our History
The Museum of Lost Cities is the brainchild of Lise Barbier, an experienced curator from Orléans. She got her start in Art History at the University of Queensland, and worked in museum curation for eighteen years in locations ranging from Sydney to Montpellier to Quebec.
After moving back to Australia, she brought her knowledge from a variety of museums and locations, and started to work on a new project. Frustrated with the lack of awareness around historiography and the ways that historians make guesses about what the past really was, she started to build the Museum of Lost Cities.
Unfortunately, Lise was unable to see the project through to the end, and has handed off to the current Creative Director, Blair Hadley Evans.
Blair has worked with various arts organisations for the past thirty years, helping artists achieve their visions. He worked closely with Lise to bring the Museum of Lost Cities from idea to fruition, and in Lise’s absence will be doing his best to adhere to her original goals and vision.
Our People
Creative Director
Blaire Hadley Evans is the Museum’s first official Creative Director, the successor to the Museum’s designer and founder, Lise Barbier. He has made it his life’s work to help artists achieve their creative visions, starting in local council and working his way up to major arts organisations. He has worked with illustrious Australian artists, and has even been lucky enough to work with several international artists as well. He has worked on projects ranging from single exhibitions to multi-part or years-long projects. He prides himself on his work in immersive exhibits and his half-hitch and sheepshank.
Archives Manager
Jordan Childe is the Museum’s Archives Manager. We hope to make him far more busy in the near future! For now, Jordan works on our agreements with other organisations, and manages our little collection. Jordan is a newcomer on the museum scene with a passion for museum work, and comes with a veritable Swiss Army Knife of skills that make him perfect for this growing position.
Media Manager
Maria Carolan is the Museum’s Media Manager. She has worked for sixteen years in various marketing roles, including strategy consulting for large firms, and managing media presence for small business. She has a degree in Media and Communications from Deakin university, and wrote her Masters thesis on different social media approaches between businesses selling products, and businesses selling experiences.
Media Assistant
Lee Cope is the assistant to Maria Carolan, and is in charge of the Museum’s day to day social media. It has worked on social media for several other projects, including gaming conventions and events for the Australian Roleplay Community, and for Whimsy and Metaphor Enterprises, an independent publisher. If you reach out to us on the social media or the Discord server, it’s likely Lee who’ll get in contact with you!
Programs Officer
Clemencia Molina is our Programs Officer, the mastermind behind the Museum’s public offerings. She not only plans our calendar and exhibits, but organises all the extra offerings, tie-ins and promotional work. Her work before this has been in events management, freelance and in-house for a wide range of organisations. She has worked on not-for-profit fundraising, massive stakeholder events, and even in conventions and industry meetups. She brings a flair for the dramatic, a keen mind, and a truly wide-ranging experience to the role, and is responsible for the unique experiences we hope you come to expect from us.
The Museum of Lost Cities 