Dolla Merrillees is a curator, cultural producer, consultant and author of The Woodcutter’s Wife: A Stepmother’s Tale (2007).  Merrillees is an accomplished public speaker and writer and has contributed to numerous online and print publications.  Merrillees was the former Director of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) as well as having been Director of Curatorial, Collections and Exhibitions at MAAS since the beginning of 2014.  Merrillees was responsible for the establishment of the MAAS Centre for Fashion, the first such centre of excellence in an Australian cultural institution, as well as developing strategic partnerships with the Australian Fashion Chamber and the fashion industry.  Fashion and design exhibitions developed and realised under her Directorship included amongst others Love Is: Australian wedding fashion; Collette Dinnigan: Unlaced; Out of Hand: Materialising the Digital; and A Fine Possession: jewellery and identity.

Merrillees is currently undertaking a Master of Philosophy at the University of Sydney and most recently was working as Project Leader at Western Sydney University developing their arts and culture decadal strategy, as well as consulting for the University of Tasmania and the City of Launceston.  Merrillees was previously Associate Director, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) where she managed over 16 projects and oversaw the production and design of 17 publications. Merrillees sat on the Curatorial Advisory Committee, City of Sydney, the Advisory Board, Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University and is a member of Chief Executive Women.  Merrillees also sits on the SCCI (Sherman Centre for Culture and Ideas) Fashion Hub Advisory Committee and is one of three SCCI Global Emissaries. Merrillees is represented by Silverfox Management Group, Sydney and Grey Models, London.