Desart News

Desert Mob 2011 opens with strong sales - Hundreds of buyers stream through three Galleries

Opening night sales at Desert Mob 2011 were strong this year, with over $330,000 in sales in just 3 hours.

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Strong Women Strong Painting Strong Culture -
Indigenous Women's Art of the Central and Western Deserts
This exhibition acknowledges the achievements of Indigenous women who are using art making to keep their culture and communities strong. Among the 40 artists are Tjapartji Bates, Anmanari Brown, Jean Burke, Alison Milyika Carroll, Myra Cook, Tjampawa Kawiny, Iwana Ken, Dora Lane, Elaine Lane, Niningka Lewis, Joyce McLean, Doreen Reid Nakamarra, Tjunkiya Napaljarri, Tali Tali Pompey, Nulbingka Simms, Kunmanara (Eileen) Stevens, Kunmanara (Wingu) Tingima, Ruby Williamson and Tjaduwa Woods.

 
Anmanari Brown, the Seven Sisters 2009; Tjampawa Kawiny,  Kapi Tjukula 2010

“It's very appropriate that this exhibition is presented on the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day”, said Deborah Sims, co-curator of the show. “Perhaps nowhere else on the planet are so many women so active, so resourceful, so connected and so engaged in powerfully stating their claim to their past, present and future.” 

Further information on special guests for International Women’s Day will be available on the Cessnock Regional Art Gallery website closer to the date.

Indigenous Women’s Art of the Central and Western Deserts
Cessnock Regional Art Gallery, 16 Vincent St, Cessnock, NSW

Open Tue - Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat - Sun 11am to 4pm. Free entry

Oprah Winfrey adorns herself in jewelery from Tangentyere Artists
On her recent visit to Australia Oprah filmed her shows, to be aired next year, wearing a necklace created by Central Australian artist Judy Hosking, who sells her work through Tangentyere Artists.

The piece was made from Bauhinia seeds from the Top End and Bean Tree (Grey Corkwood) seeds from Central Australia.
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Art Gallery of South Australia
Until 26 January 2011
Drawn from the holdings of Aboriginal art from the Art Gallery of South Australia’s pioneering collection, Desert Country maps the 40-year evolution of the internationally acclaimed Australian desert painting movement. It includes works from a number of member Art Centres and the accompanying book features work from one of Tjala Arts' younger artists, Tjungkara Ken.

Desert Country begins with the celebrated watercolours of Albert Namatjira and his contemporaries, and provides an extensive survey of art from the principal Aboriginal art producing regions of the desert in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. It culminates with powerful paintings from Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands of far northwest South Australia by some of Australia’s most outstanding contemporary artists such as Maringka Baker, Nura Rupert, Kunmanara Jimmy Baker and Tjungkara Ken.

Desart member Art Centres represented include Tjala Arts, Tjungu Palya, Ninuku, Mimili Maku Arts, Warakurna Artists and Papunya Tula.

         
Tjungkara Ken (left) and (right) her artwork which was used for the cover of the book that accompanies the Desert Country exhibition.

The exhibition is accompanied by a beautiful hard-cover book with a cover featuring a painting by Tjunkara Ken (above) - a young artist working for Tjala Arts. Tjungkara was the youngest artist from the region who was short-listed for the Telstra Prize this year.

Aboriginal Artworker Training week
Up to 40 Aboriginal Artworkers from about 25 member Art Centres came to Alice Springs last week to participate in the annual Desart Aboriginal Artworker Training Workshop. 

Over the week Artworkers participated in skills development workshops, gallery visits discussions and networking at the Training Workshop. Workshops over the week included professional development in Networking, Art Conversation, Interpreting, Customer Service and Sales and Business and Culture. The week also included gallery visits and a special dinner at which certificates were awarded.

 
Artworkers at art conservation workshops with trainers Grazyna and Andrzej Janczewski

Tristan Duggie and Lorraine King learning canvas preparation techniques

New Gallery open on the Great Central Road
Warakurna Artists' new Yurliya Gallery offers visitors an insight into Ngaanyatjarra cultural and artistic practices through its interpretive materials. Read more...

Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards now open for 2011 
The Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards is a national award founded in 2008 to celebrate the breadth, diversity and excellence of art from all corners of Indigenous Australia. Read more

Desart in the Park
Over 17 Art Centres braved the icy air and winds to take part in the Desart night market in the Alice Springs Desert Park last Friday. The market, hosted by Desert Park in partnership with Desart, was scheduled to coincide with the Masters Games.

Despite the unusually cold October weather Desart in the Park went ahead last Friday night with visitors to Alice Springs as well as locals coming out to the Desert Park to view and purchase paintings, ceramics, textiles and punu direct from local and remote Desart member Art Centres. Desert Park also served up dinner under the stars with local musicians Darcy and Bill Davis providing tunes, all against the stunning backdrop of the West MacDonnell Ranges. 

      
Papunya Tjupi Artworker Lorraine King with artworks at Desart in the Park

Tangentyere Artists Artworker Shauna Tilmouth at the night market

Desert Country

The journey of the painting project
Desart staff and Executive members Jane Young and Mr Porter have been working with Christopher Brocklebank at i-see i-learn to develop an animation for artists to show the story of an artwork from artist to gallery.

This short video, created with pictures and voice over, follows the journey of an artwork from the artist to the Art Centre to the city and beyond – and the journey of the money back to the artist.

In this short video, which follows the journey of an artwork from the artist to the Art Centre to the city and beyond,Jane Young narrates the story in English and Arrernte. The Desart Executive are working on developing the story in Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara, Alyawarra, Luritja and Warlpiri.

The animation can be viewed and downloaded from the i-talk library at http://www.italklibrary.com.

Exhibitions showing at Desert Mob time in Alice Springs
There are two exhibitions showing in Alice Springs at the same time as Desert Mob not to miss.

Mirinypa Maku Tjukurpa showcases work by established Mimili Maku artist Milatjari Pumani and features emerging artists Tuppy Ngintja Goodwin, Ngupulya Pumani and Puna Yanima. These artists continue to attract attention with traditional imagery, symbols and stories of country combined with an abstract, wild use of colour.

RAFT Artspace, 8 Hele Crescent Alice Springs.

Tangentyere Artists will open their first exhibition of works in Alice Springs at Desert Mob time. The show is a joint show with Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and is showing at Peta Appleyard Gallery in Todd Mall.

Tangentyere Artists have to date specialised in paintings and provided art support services to over 400 artists from all of the Alice Springs Town Camps. But at Peta Appleyard as well as Desert Mob they will launch a new range of works.

Tangentyere Artists have been painting on metal – abandoned metal objects found in the town camps, such as flour drum tins, derelict road signs and car parts.

(left to right) Sally Mulda, Little Sisters Town Camp – Inarlenge, 2009, Acrylic on Metal, image courtesy Tangentyere Artists; Alison Inkamala, Karrinyarra – Central Mt Wedge 2010, image courtesy Tangentyere Artists

Showing with Tangentyere Artists is Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, based at Larapinta Town Camp in Alice Springs. Renowned for their soft sculptures, etchings and silk textiles, the artists have created a niche market. The art being made is in its own way strongly underpinned by the culture of Western Arrernte people who have lived in Alice Springs for a number of generations. It speaks of country, local plants and animals, family, cattle station and town camp life.

The joint exhibition opens Thursday 9th September at Peta Appleyard Gallery, Todd St Mall.

Ninuku Artist Mr Donnegan wins 2010 Telstra Award
Mr Donegan, who paints with Desart member Art Centre Ninuku Arts, has been awarded Australia’s most prestigious Indigenous art prize at the 27th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA).

Mr Donegan was awarded the $40,000 Telstra Art Award for his work titled Papa Tjukurpa and Pukara at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) in Darwin.

The Telstra Art Award winner was selected from the NATSIAA’s five category winners for the first time with Mr Donegan’s work Papa Tjukurpa and Pukara also winning the $4,000 General Painting Award category.

Award-winning painting Papa Tjukurpa and Pukara and the artist Mr Donegan

The synthetic polymer paint on canvas, measuring 1.8m x 2m, relays ancestral stories from both Mr Donegan’s father’s and grandfather’s country. The painting is of two stories – Papa Tjukurpa and Pukara. Papa Tjukurpa (Dingo Dreaming) represents his father’s country and Pukara represents his grandfather’s country and is a water snake Dreaming story.

Mr Donegan was born at Yanpan, a rockhole near Ngatuntjarra Bore, around 1940, and grew up in country around Blackstone and Mantamaru in Western Australia. Mr Donegan, now widowed, has returned to Kalka community in South Australia, near his wife’s country, to live with his children and to be close to his sister Molly Nampitjin Miller.

Prizes were also awarded in five other categories:
The $4,000 Telstra General Painting Award - Mr Donegan - Papa Tjukurpa and Pukara
The $4,000 Telstra Bark Painting Award - Glen Namundja - Kunabibbe Ceremony at Manmoyi
The $4,000 Telstra Works on Paper - Dennis Nona - Saulal
The $4,000 Wandjuk Marika Memorial Three-Dimensional Award - Wukun
Wanambi - Bamurrungu
The $3000 inaugural Telstra New Media Award - Nawurapu Wunungmurra - Mokuy

2010 Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards artists announced
Of the 16 artists selected for the Western Australian Indigenous art awards three paint at Desart member Art Centres. Nura Rupert, Nellie Stewart and Harry Tjutjuna are all finalists in the Awards. As such they are each invited to participate in the awards exhibition and have the opportunity to share in $65,000 in prizes.

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New skills and networking at the Barkly Artists' Camp
The annual Barkly Artists' Camp went ahead despite heavy rain on the first morning, bringing together over 40 artists, artworkers and Art Centre managers from the Barkly region.

Now in its third year the camp, organised by Desart and Barkly Regional Arts, aims to provide a space for networking between artists and Art Centres and expose artists to new skills and opportunities for arts development.
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Meet the New Managers
Four of Desart member Art Centres have recently recruited new managers. Let us introduce you to the new managers of Kayili Artists, Artists of Ampilatwatja and the Hermannsburg Potters.

Christine Mieizis - Ikuntji Artists, Haasts Bluff, NT
Christine started working in Indigenous Art Centres  in 2002 at Ngukurr Arts. She had an enjoyable 4 years of working and gaining experience there. In 2006 she moved to Melville Island (Tiwi Islands) to work at Munupi Arts where her husband Gary joined her to work as a team together for 3 1/2 years. Together they start a new adventure at Haasts Bluff working with the Ikuntji Artists.

John Rigby – Hermannsburg Potters, NT

John has over forty years experience as an exhibiting artist in all mediums with a management skill set developed in the fields of graphic and visual arts, sign manufacture, set design and props manufacturing for the film industry.

John has managed galleries in the Riverina NSW and is experienced in producing and managing artwork for commercial application.

Caroline Hunter - Artists of Ampilatwatja, NT

Caroline has worked in Aboriginal communities for 10 years.  From 2002 to 2005 she managed Tiwi Design and, since 2005 she has since worked independently as a consultant in the NT, WA, QLD and NSW.

Caroline is currently working for the Artists of Ampilatwatja and enjoying the bright colourful acrylic paintings that she feels reflect the colourful personalities of the artists. The artists, she says, can look forward to a new Art Centre manager’s residence and extensive renovations to the existing building.

Rohan Robinson – Kayili Arts, Patjarr, WA
 

Rohan studied Fine Art at Deakin University. He has painted and exhibited extensively nationally and internationally for 25 years. During most of the nineties he was employed in the corporate sector involved in design, marketing and international licensing for companies such as Rip Curl and Quiksilver. For the last ten years he has spent most of the time living rough in a studio deep in the Otway ranges of Victoria.

Desart in the Park
Crowds streamed into the Alice Springs Desert Park before Easter to buy affordable art from local and remote Art Centres and enjoy an atmospheric night of music and food under the full moon.
 

Plans are underway for a bumper Desart in the Park to be held on Friday October 15 to coincide with the 2010 Alice Springs Masters Games. The remote Art Centres will next be in Alice Springs selling artwork priced at $300 and below at the Desert Mob Marketplace on the Circus Lawns at Araluen Cultural Precinct on September 11th this year.

Desart member Art Centres Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre (Ali Curung), Hermannsburg Potters, Ikuntji Artists (Haasts Bluff), Irrkerlantye Arts (Alice Springs), Iwantja Arts and Crafts (Indulkana), Mimili Maku Arts, Papunya Tjupi Art Centre, Tjala Arts (Amata), Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Tjarlirli Artists (Tjukurla), Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendemu), Keringke Arts (Santa Teresa), Maruku Arts (Uluru), Tapatjatjaka Art and Craft (Titjikala) as well as the Traditional Owners of the Desert Park area took part in the annual event which is organised by Desert Park in partnership with Desart.

Artists' Resale Royalty Rollout
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) has welcomed the announcement by Federal Arts Minister Peter Garrett, that the visual artists’ resale royalty scheme will be fully operational by mid-year.

From early June 2010, artworks which are first acquired and then resold will have the resale royalty applied to them. This will mean that over time as artworks are purchased and resold, the benefits for artists will gradually accrue.

When the Act was passed in December 2009, the peak body representing the interests of the Australian visual arts, craft and design sector, NAVA, was supportive of the Federal Government’s decision that the scheme would deliver five per cent of the sale price when art works are resold through the art market for $1000 or more with no upper limit, and would apply not only to living artists but also for their beneficiaries up to 70 years after the artist’s death.

Australian copyright management company, Copyright Agency Limited (CAL), will act as the collecting society to manage the resale royalty scheme.

NAVA’s Executive Director, Tamara Winikoff said “CAL’s more than 20 years of experience in collecting and paying royalties to creators will ensure efficient establishment and management of the scheme. NAVA will be happy to provide every assistance to CAL in its task of setting in place the mechanisms for roll out of the scheme and education of the sector to understand their entitlements and responsibilities.” 

NAVA understands and believes it to be fair that CAL will charge a flat 10 per cent administration fee on the resale amounts collected, to cover the costs of implementation of the scheme.  

All enquiries contact Tamara Winikoff at NAVA on
ph: 02 9368 1900 
m: 0411 162 156

Desart Artsworker semi-finalist in NT Young Achiever Award
Aboriginal Artworker Tisha Corbett, who works at Arlpwe Art and Culture in Ali Curung (NT), was a semi-finalist in the category of Regional and Rural Initiative in the NT Young Achiever Awards in April.

This is the first time the NT Young Achiever Awards have recognised the work of Aboriginal Artworkers and the role they are playing in the development of the Aboriginal Arts industry in Central Australia.

 Deputy Mayor Fred Marroney presents the Award to Tisha Corbett in Darwin

Tisha Corbett and Susan Doolan (from Tapatjatjaka Art and Craft in Titjikala) each received NT Young Achiever Nomination Awards at the Gala Presentation in Darwin in April.