This is a photo of our market place set up, kindly provided by Tim Pearn.
It has been busy with day to day activities, also, as usual I am way behind with the paper work, I have had a visit from Susan and Barbara my representatives form ICC, our funding people and I am trying to get into some kind of order before the Christmas break.
Next week I head to Perth for the Western Desert Mob Show.
MEDIA RELEASE
Many Friendships thrive at Bunjilaka
Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum presents
Western Desert Mob Exhibition Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships
Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum and Western Desert Mob have partnered together to celebrate the importance of connection to Country and culture through art, at the upcoming exhibition Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships. The exhibition will be held 21 November 2008 to 29 February 2009.
Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships is Western Desert Mob’s inaugural collaborative exhibition in Victoria and includes a vibrant collection of paintings, punu (woodcarvings) and tjanpi (weavings) from the Western Desert Mob Art Centre alliance; Kayili Artists, Warakurna Artists, Papulankutja Artists, Maruku Arts, Tjanpi Desert Weavers and Tjarlirli Arts.
“Bunjilaka is excited at the opportunity to present Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships for the first time in Melbourne, a vibrant collection of recent work from the Western Desert Art Centres,” said Caroline Martin, Bunjilaka Manager.
“Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships provides a wonderful complement to Bunjilaka’s exhibitions detailing the history and cultures of Aboriginal Australia, and to Bunjilaka’s role as a site that empowers Aboriginal people to interpret their own cultural heritage,” Martin continued.
The Art Centres maintain transparent operations, producing artworks of impeccable provenance, with all profits being returned directly artists, communities and the sustainability of the Western Desert Mob alliance.
Artist and spokesperson of Western Desert Mob Mrs Eunice Porter said her Art Centre, Warakurna Artists is a place that fosters many friendships and it is the strength of these relationships within the Ngaanyatjarra Lands that makes the Western Desert Mob alliance something the artists are proud to be part of.
In particular Mrs Porter says her community and the artists at Warakurna benefit from the links Western Desert Mob provides between communities across Australia.
“At Warakurna we paint to share our stories and our Art Centre is a happy place for this. We have Yamatji Pirni (many friendships) with each community. With Papulankutja, Patjarr, Tjukurla, Mutitjulu and all Western Desert Mob communities. We share our stories with them,” Mrs Porter said.
“When people visit us we welcome them, we want to share our stories with them and with whitefellas to keep our culture strong,” Mrs Porter said.
Western Desert Mob Coordinator Mr Tim Acker said Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships is above all testimony to the importance of strong and united Aboriginal communities.
“The Western Desert Mob alliance was established to strengthen the Yamatji Pirni (many friendships) between artists and communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and is building momentum with new Art Centres alliances forming around the country. With this exhibition Western Desert Mob members are celebrating our second anniversary and our success in setting new standards in empowering Aboriginal artists,” Mr Acker said.
Beyond the collection of inspiring artworks Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships’ underlying message is to educate art enthusiasts of the positive outcomes that can be achieved through alliances that empower Aboriginal artists and communities like Western Desert Mob.
“Western Desert Mob demonstrates the power of proactive and positive alliances between artists and Art Centres, a critical contribution to the wellbeing of their industry and what will ultimately sustain the cultural integrity of Aboriginal art,” Mr Tim Acker said.
“Authentic art sourced from Aboriginal owned and governed Art Centres provides a quality investment for the individual art buyer and on a broader level supports Aboriginal culture in Australia,” Mr Acker said.
“Western Desert Mob community Art Centres are one of the most positive examples of Aboriginal owned and governed enterprises. Art Centres enable individuals to access independent livelihoods, improves community wellbeing and empowers artists,” Mr Acker said.
Exhibition Details:
Yamatji Pirni: Many Friendships
Life and art of Western Desert Mob
When: 21 November 2008 – 29 February 2009
Where: Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum
Who: Western Desert Mob artists
Description:
Celebrate Australia’s thriving western desert communities through art, culture and stories of the people and their country.
More than forty artists from Kayili Artists, Warakurna Artists, Papulankutja Artists, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Maruku Arts and Tjarlirli Art share their stories through painting, punu (woodcarving) and tjanpi (weaving).
Western Desert Mob community Art Centres of are one of the most positive examples of Aboriginal owned and governed enterprises. Art Centres enable individuals to access independent livelihoods, improves community wellbeing and empowers artists.
Western Desert Mob Art Centres maintain transparent operations, producing artworks of impeccable provenance.
Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton.
Open 10.00am to 5.00pm daily.
Admission: $6 Adults, children and concession FREE.
For further information, visit museumvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka
or phone 13 11 02.
After the WDM opening I will meeting up with Anthony Spry, the manager elect of Papulankutja Artists. We will be catching up with business associates in Melbourne to talk about next year's exhibition program for Papulankutja Artists and then heading back to Blackstone.
Anthony has been involved in the emerging artists development program at Balgo. His wife Rocky has been manager of the culture centre there. I am very excited about this appointment, I look around and feel how little I can give to the up and coming artists and their development. I hold great hope for the work that Anthony will do with the art centre. The artists are looking forward to this also.
Of course in 2009 we will forge ahead in earnest with our outreach program to Jameson and Wingellina. This is a program developed to engage the emerging artists from those communities and train art workers from each community to give ownership to the program to each community. We are in the final stages of appointing the permanent art development and field assistant for this program. working with temporary staff and engaging the artists remotely from this art centre has been a start but is in no way satisfactory.
Jameson and Wingellina are providing secure working space and our outreach art development staff will spend time in each community working with the artists and assisting the trainee art workers to facilitate art production. Papulankutja Artists will manage and market for each of the outreach centres.
There has been a great deal of disruption to the peace at Blackstone since the recent sorry business, much unhappiness and unrest, it has made life a bit uneasy and the art centre is not immune to the moods of the community. Hopefully this will settle down soon.
