Tangentyere Artists: Alice Springs Town Camps, Mparntwe, NT
L Sally Mulda R Grace Robinya
Before Tangentyere Artists had a studio or gallery, Grace Kemarre Robinya was already painting — in the Tangentyere Council office. The gallery came in 2013; the art centre itself was established in 2005. It grew from the Elders of Tangentyere Council, who chose the name from their own language: tangentyere is an Arrernte word meaning "coming together, working together." Tangentyere Council had been fighting for the tenure and services of Alice Springs Town Camps since the 1970s, co-founded by Senior Arrernte Elder Wenten Rubuntja AM. The art centre is the cultural expression of the same community that organisation was built to protect.
Tangentyere Artists is the hub for arts activities across 18 Town Camps — the 18 Aboriginal housing associations of Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Artists speak over ten different languages, including Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja, and Pitjantjatjara. Three sites operate across Larapinta, Hidden Valley, and Mparntwe, offering studio, gallery, and outreach programs. The centre is known for figurative painting, diversity of mark making, and rich colour palettes that document Town Camp life, the surrounding MacDonnell Ranges, and country beyond. The inaugural exhibition at Araluen saw two works acquired by the Art Gallery of New South Wales. In 2020, the online store Town Camp Designs launched to support younger artists; it is now stocked in the public gallery stores of most Australian capital cities.
Tangentyere Artists at a glance
- Location: 16 Fogarty Street, Alice Springs NT 0870. Three sites across Larapinta, Hidden Valley, and Mparntwe.
- Established: 2005. Gallery opened 2013. Town Camp Designs online store launched 2020.
- People: Artists from 18 Alice Springs Town Camps. Over 10 language groups including Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja, Pitjantjatjara.
- Art forms: Figurative and narrative painting, textiles, ceramics, prints.
- Notable artists: Grace Kemarre Robinya, Sally Mulda, Doris Thomas.
- Online store: Town Camp Designs at towncampdesigns.org.au.
