Meet This Year's Judges
Our 2025 Art Competition, ‘I Can…’, is being judged by artists from across the Deaf arts space – spanning various artistic disciplines, from sculpture to performance. These judges bring an array of lived experience and insights, and we are really excited to be able to work with these amazing artists!
Chelle Destefano
Chelle is a Deaf artist who works with many art styles including drawing, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, installation, performance, and poetry. Sometimes she mixes different styles into one artwork. Chelle’s art often talks about real issues in the world, like the housing crisis, homelessness, and unfair differences between people from different backgrounds. She also shares her experience of being Deaf in a mostly hearing world. Chelle won the Lake Art Prize in 2020 and has been a finalist in several other art awards.
Rachel Horton Stock
Rachel started drawing at age 12, using technical drawing tools. She later worked in architecture before turning to painting. Rachel is a Deaf artist who enjoys using watercolours, micro pens, acrylics, gouache and coloured pencils. Her favourite materials are watercolours and micro pens. For Rachel, art is relaxing and helps her take a break from the busy world. Her message to young artists is: “You are only limited by your imagination. You can achieve anything you set your mind to.”
Joe Monteleone
Joe is a Deafblind artist who loves printmaking and sculpture—art that you can touch and feel. For Joe, these art forms are a powerful way to connect with the world around him. His artwork has been shown in many exhibitions, and another is planned for October. In 2021, he was a finalist in the Experimental Print Prize at Castlemaine Art Museum. The State Library of Victoria also chose to keep and showcase one of Joe’s prints of Flinders Street Station in their collection, showing how meaningful and skilled his work is.
We’re honoured to have these three incredible Deaf and Deafblind artists lend their time, insight and creativity to the DCA Art Competition. Their lived experience and artistic vision help us spotlight the diverse talent of Deaf young people — and remind us that art is a powerful way to tell stories, build confidence and connect communities.
