New Beginnings

In 2018, Bana Yirriji Art Centre artists participated in the Indigenous Art Centre Alliance (IACA) on-the-ground arts development program facilitated by Edwina Circuitt. The three-week arts development workshop extended artists’ creative practice and helped elevate our studio management practices.  We now have secured access to high-quality materials and technical expertise via Chapman & Bailey, improved our artwork documentation, developed a pricing structure and optimised our SAM database (Stories, Art & Money). During the workshop, we experimented with new painting techniques and photography. Our arts workers and staff learnt new skills in materials preparation and colour mixing. Our artists produced a fantastic body of artworks that have been acquired by the National Museum of Australia and will be exhibited in 2022-2023.

Our artists were asked to respond to the theme Belonging and what it meant to them as individuals and as a group. We also went on a bush trip to Cowi Bay to experiment with photography.

Bana Yirrjii Art Centre’s participation in the Belonging Arts Development project also led to being invited to work on the National Museum of Australia’s Cultural Connections program to develop artwork and content for the Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians exhibition which explored views from the ship and shore on the 250th anniversary of the 1770 journey.

To learn more about IACA’s Belonging Project: https://iaca.com.au/news/belonging