Indigenous artists from remote community owned art centres from the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia will gather in Sydney for the National Indigenous Art Fair, a two-day art market and program of events in celebration of NAIDOC Week at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in The Rocks on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June 2019.
The second annual event is presented by the Blak Markets, the social enterprise arm of First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, in proud partnership with Port Authority of NSW and Destination NSW, with sponsorship support from Lendlease and Gilbert + Tobin.
Artists will travel to Sydney as part of First Hand Solutions’ ‘Heart in Art’ program, which provides economic and professional development opportunities to Aboriginal artists working in remote communities.
First Hand Solutions, CEO, Peter Cooley said: ‘The National Indigenous Art Fair is a rare chance to meet artists from some of Australia’s most remote communities and browse a huge variety of Aboriginal art, right in the heart of Sydney.
‘We are dedicated to helping Indigenous people be the architects of their own futures and are thrilled to offer artists the chance to travel to Sydney to promote and sell their artworks and host workshops demonstrating their unique arts and cultural practices.’
Visitors are invited to browse paintings, textiles and sculptures and speak from art centres, including but not limited to:
APY Art Centre Collective (Amata, APY Lands, SA)
Artists of Ampilatwatja (Ampilatwatja, NT)
Arts Ceduna (Ceduna, SA)
Bábbarra Women’s Centre (Maningrida, NT)
Bula’Bula Art (Ramingining, NT)
Fitzroy Women’s Collective (Fitzroy Crossing, WA)
Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts (Gapuwiyak, NT)
Ikuntji Artists (Haasts Bluff, NT)
Ku’arlu Mangga (Northampton, WA)
Martumili Artists (Newman, WA)
Munupi Arts and Crafts Association (Garden Point, Tiwi Islands, NT)
Tangentyere Artists (Ciccone, NT)
Tjanpi Desert Weavers (Amata, SA)
Tjarlirli Art & Kaltukatjara Art (Tjarlirli Community, NT)
Warakurna Artists (Warakurna Community, NT)
Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu, NT)
Warmun Art Centre (Warmun, WA)
Warnayaka Art & Cultural Aboriginal Corporation (Lajamanu, NT)
In the spirit of the 2019 National NAIDOC theme, ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth’, the event will also feature a vibrant program of live music, weaving circles and Aboriginal dance performances, plus more than 30 stallholders from around New South Wales selling art, jewellery, gifts, homewares, and Indigenous food and beverages.
A group of Aboriginal weavers and fibre artists from remote communities will work together to create a woven interpretation of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which will evolve before the eyes of visitors.
Entry is by gold coin donation to support First Hand Solutions’ Aboriginal youth programs.
