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Aboriginal Art Centres
Aboriginal Art centres are the beating heart of many remote communities. Primarily their function is to facilitate the production and marketing of Aboriginal Art on behalf of their artists and to act as a gateway to the broader community. Aboriginal Art centres also support the intergenerational transmission of stories of law and culture within their community, as well as providing training, economic development, employment, and leadership opportunities that are otherwise scarce.
Aboriginal Art centres celebrate Aboriginal identity and are often central to the social and economic wellbeing of remote communities. They protect artists’ intellectual and cultural property and are the most sustainable and ethical model available in accessing Aboriginal Art. Purchasing artwork sourced from an Aboriginal Art centre provides a guarantee that your artwork is authentic and ethical and means you are supporting families, jobs, community and the next generation of Aboriginal Artists.
Aboriginal Art centres are listed corporations which have serious government reporting requirements and financial transparencies. Information relating to individual art centres, their annual reports and payment transparencies which include artist payments can be found via the Office of the Register of Aboriginal Corporations – oric.gov.au
The members of these Aboriginal corporations are made up of the artists themselves who annually elect a board of directors including a chairperson, vice-chairperson and treasurer to oversee the operations of each art centre in collaboration with the manager and staff members via annual general meetings, regular directors’ meetings, and day to day interactions.
ART ARK only works with Aboriginal Art centres and distributes funds back to them on a monthly basis via direct transfer. The majority of these funds are then paid to the artists and a portion is invested back into the art centre for operational costs and community programs as per the organisation's goals and management plan.
Here, we have compiled a list of Aboriginal Art centres and peak bodies to showcase the vast number and diverse range of Aboriginal Artists.
Aboriginal Art centres in Australia:
- Anindilyakwa Arts: Located on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory, this is an indigenous hub representing the Anindilyakwa people. Renowned for their intricate weavings and jewelry made from local materials.
- Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre: Situated in Ali Curung, Northern Territory, Arlpwe celebrates the art and culture of local language groups. They produce distinctive paintings and sculptures.
- Artists of Ampilatwatja (pronounced um-bludder-witch): Located northeast of Alice Springs, this center represents artists who create art reflecting their connection to the land, especially its medicinal plants.
- Bábbarra Women’s Centre: Located in Maningrida, Arnhem Land, the Bábbarra Women’s Centre is known for its textile designs, screen prints, and other artworks, emphasising women empowerment.
- Badu Art Centre – Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh: Located on Badu Island in the Torres Strait, the center boasts unique Torres Strait Islander art including prints, sculptures, and ceramics.
- Baluk Arts: Located in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, this urban Aboriginal arts center is recognised for its sculptures, jewelry, and various artworks representing stories of the Stolen Generations.
- Bana Yirriji Art Centre: Based on the banks of the Annan River, Queensland, the Wujal Wujal community is renowned for their weavings, paintings, and carvings depicting rainforest traditions.
- Barkly Regional Arts: Located in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory, this center represents various local language groups and is recognised for a wide range of contemporary and traditional art forms.
- Bima Wear: Situated on Bathurst Island, Tiwi Islands, Bima Wear is famous for its bold textile designs and fabric creations, predominantly created by Tiwi women.
- Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists: Located in Alice Springs, they are known for artworks representing the experiences of artists with disabilities.
- Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative: Located in Leichhardt, New South Wales, this is one of Australia's longest-running Aboriginal-owned and -operated art galleries.
- Buku Larrngay Mulka: Based in Yirrkala, Northern Territory, this centre is a hub for the Yolngu people. Celebrated for their bark paintings, sculptures and traditional Yidaki (didgeridoo).
- Bula’Bula Arts: Located in Ramingining, Arnhem Land, it's well-known for traditional Aboriginal artworks including bark paintings, woven baskets and carvings.
- DJILPIN ARTS: Situated in Beswick, Northern Territory, this centre showcases art forms that celebrate the rich cultural traditions and stories of the Ghunmarn people.
- Durrmu Arts: Based in the West Daly region, this centre is recognised for its fine dot paintings and woven art inspired by age-old Indigenous traditions.
- Ernabella Arts: Located in Pukatja, South Australia, it's Australia’s oldest continuously running Indigenous art centre, known for its pottery, batik textiles and paintings.
- Erub Arts: On Erub Island in Torres Strait, renowned for its ghost net sculptures, print textiles and pottery.
- Gab Titui Cultural Centre: Located on Thursday Island, it’s a hub for Torres Strait Islander history, culture and contemporary arts including paintings and ceramics.
- Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts: Located in East Arnhem Land, celebrated for its traditional weaving, bark paintings and Yidaki.
- Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre: Located in Cardwell, Queensland, celebrating the diverse artistic talents of local Aboriginal communities. Best known for their bicornual baskets and Bagu sculptures.
- Hermannsburg Potters: Situated in Ntaria, Northern Territory, they're famous for their unique terracotta pots depicting stories from the region.
- Hopevale Arts and Culture Centre: In Hopevale, Queensland, this centre is notable for its diverse range of artworks, including beadwork, pottery and paintings.
- Ikuntji Artists: Located in Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, they're known for bold colour palettes in their paintings, depicting dreamtime stories and landscapes.
- Injalak Arts: Situated in Gunbalanya, Northern Territory, Injalak Arts is an outstanding example of a community organisation that is owned and governed by Kunwinjku people. It's known for its traditional rock art, bark paintings, and pandanus weavings.
- Iwantja Arts: Situated in Indulkana, South Australia, celebrated for its distinctive styles in paintings, often depicting stories of ancestors and the local landscape.
- Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association: On Melville Island, Tiwi Islands, it's renowned for traditional Tiwi design in carvings, paintings and textiles.
- Kaiela Arts Shepparton: In Victoria, it acts as a platform for local Indigenous artists to showcase contemporary visual arts.
- Kaltjiti Arts: Located in Fregon, South Australia, they're celebrated for their distinct and vibrant paintings showcasing ancestral stories.
- Karungkarni Art and Culture Aboriginal Corporation: Situated in Kintore, Northern Territory, it's a hub for traditional and contemporary art including paintings and sculptures.
- Keringke Arts Aboriginal Art Centre: Located in Ltyentye Apurte, Northern Territory, known for their unique and brightly coloured artworks.
- Kira Kiro Artists: Located in the Kimberley, Western Australia, this centre is celebrated for its paintings, particularly those depicting two major dreamtime figures: Kira Kiro and Namorrodor.
- Ku’arlu Mangga: Based in Northcliffe, Western Australia, they're renowned for their hand-made baskets, jewellery and prints.
- Larrakia Nation Arts: Representing the Larrakia people in Darwin, Northern Territory, it's a hub for traditional paintings, crafts and artefacts.
- Laarri Art Centre: Located in Yiyili Community between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek off the Great Northern Highway, it shares a blend of contemporary and traditional artworks with creations ranging from canvases to painted and carved boab nuts.
- Lockhart River Arts Centre: Located in Queensland, this centre showcases unique art forms that blend traditional Aboriginal culture with contemporary art practices.
- Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency: Situated in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, Mangkaja is renowned for its indigenous artworks, especially watercolours and prints.
- Maningrida Arts & Culture: Located in Arnhem Land, known globally for its weavings, fibre art, bark paintings and wooden sculptures.
- Marnin Studio: Based in Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia, this studio is celebrated for its textiles, especially those inspired by bush foods and the river.
- Marrawuddi Arts and Culture: Located in Kakadu National Park, they focus on traditional painting, weaving, and didgeridoos.
- Martumili Artists: In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, renowned for their desert art, particularly paintings that depict ancestral stories.
- Maruku Arts: Situated around Uluru, it's famous for its woodwork, especially punu (woodcraft), that encapsulates local stories.
- Merrepen Arts: Based in Daly River, Northern Territory, renowned for textiles, especially screen-printed fabrics, and paintings.
- Mornington Island Art: Located in Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland, known for its dance artifacts, paintings and unique island stories.
- Milingimbi Art and Culture: In Arnhem Land, it's one of the oldest Indigenous art centres, celebrated for bark paintings, carvings and ceremonial poles.
- Mimi Aboriginal Art and Craft: Based in Katherine, Northern Territory, it provides a range of traditional art including paintings, didgeridoos, and weavings.
- Mimili Maku Arts: Located in Mimili, South Australia, they're celebrated for their contemporary paintings which draw inspiration from local landscapes and ancestral tales.
- Minyerri Art & Cultural Centre: Situated in the Alawa community, it's a hub for traditional paintings, weavings, and carvings.
- Minyma Kutjara Arts Project: Located in South Australia, this centre is led by women, focusing on paintings that reflect personal stories and Tjukurpa (law and moral code).
- MIArt - Mornington Island Art: Celebrates the vibrant artistry and deep-rooted traditions of the Mornington Island community in Queensland. Represented the esteemed late artist, Sally Gabori.
- Moa Arts: Based on Moa Island in Torres Strait, it's known for its vibrant prints, textile art, and pottery.
- Mowanjum Art and Culture Centre: Near Derby in Western Australia, renowned for its boab nut carvings, ochre paintings and large-scale public artworks.
- Munupi Arts & Crafts Association: On Melville Island, Tiwi Islands, they focus on traditional Tiwi-style paintings, ceramics, and carvings.
- Nagula Jarndu Designs: Located in Broome, Western Australia, they're known for their textiles, especially those that depict the local landscapes and stories.
- Ngukurr Art Centre: Situated in southeastern Arnhem Land, artists here create vibrant canvases, weavings, and sculptures reflecting their rich cultural heritage.
- Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra (Many Hands) Art Centre: Based in Alice Springs, they are well-known for their watercolour paintings, continuing the legacy of Albert Namatjira.
- Ninuku Arts: Located in South Australia, it's celebrated for its colourful paintings which often blend traditional stories with contemporary styles.
- Numbulwar Numburindi Arts: Based in Numbulwar, Northern Territory, renowned for ghost net art, weaving, and traditional instruments.
- Nyinkka Nyunyu: An art and culture centre in Tennant Creek, known for its insightful representation of Warumungu culture through art and stories.
- Papulankutja Artists: Located in remote Western Australia, they're celebrated for their distinctive style of painting, often portraying stories of the land and its ancestors.
- Papunya Tjupi Arts: Located in Papunya, Northern Territory, a continuation of the famous Papunya Tula movement, they're known for their iconic dot paintings.
- Papunya Tula Artists: The original centre from Papunya, Northern Territory, which played a crucial role in the global recognition of Aboriginal art, especially the dot painting style.
- Pormpuraaw Art & Culture Centre Inc.: Located in Pormpuraaw, Queensland, they are known for their unique ghost net sculptures, traditional carvings and paintings.
- Spinifex Arts Project: Situated in Tjuntjuntjara, Western Australia, stands as a vibrant showcase of the deep-rooted artistry and cultural heritage of the Spinifex people.
- Spinifex Hill Studio: Based in South Hedland, Western Australia, the studio is home to a diverse group of artists known for their vivid paintings and sculptures.
- Tangentyere Artists: Located in Alice Springs, it represents town camp artists and is celebrated for its diverse range of artworks, from paintings to soft sculptures.
- Tiwi Designs Aboriginal Corporation: Based on Bathurst Island, Tiwi Islands, they’re famed for screen-printed textiles, carvings and traditional paintings.
- Tjala Arts: Located in Amata, South Australia, they are known for their bold and vibrant paintings reflecting the region's stories.
- Tjanpi Desert Weavers: A social enterprise of Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council, they are famous for their woven grass sculptures and baskets.
- Tjarlirli Art and Kaltukatjara Art: Located in Tjukurla, Western Australia, they're known for their large-scale canvases showcasing vibrant depictions of country and Tjukurpa (dreamtime stories).
- Tjungu Palya: Located in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, South Australia, they're celebrated for their traditional paintings that depict ancestral stories.
- UMI Arts: Based in Cairns, Queensland, it's a hub for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, including paintings, ceramics and textiles.
- Walkatjara Art: Located at the base of Uluru, it's a vibrant centre for local Anangu artists to depict Tjukurpa and contemporary stories.
- Warakurna & Kayili Artists: Based in Warakurna, Western Australia, they're known for their bright canvases and innovative sculptures.
- Waralungku Arts: Located in Borroloola, Northern Territory, it's a hub for the four local language groups, showcasing vibrant paintings, prints and sculptures.
- Waringarri Aboriginal Arts: Based in Kununurra, Western Australia, they're the first wholly Indigenous-owned art centre in the Kimberley, known for ochre paintings, limited-edition prints, wood carvings and textiles.
- Warlayirti Artists Aboriginal Corporation: Located in Balgo, Western Australia, they’re celebrated for their bold use of colour in paintings that depict dreamtime stories.
- Warlukurlangu Artists of Yuendumu: Since its establishment in 1985, the art center has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Warlpiri culture through the creation of stunning artworks among many projects. It operates across both Yuendumu and Nyirripi.
- Warmun Art Centre: Located in Warmun, Western Australia, they're renowned for earthy ochre paintings portraying Ngarrangkarni (dreamtime) and contemporary tales.
- Wei’ Num Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts and Crafts: Based in the Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, this centre showcases the cultural heritage of the region through diverse artworks.
- Wik and Kugu Arts Centre: Situated in Aurukun, Queensland, this centre is a hub for Wik and Kugu cultural expressions, particularly sculptures and paintings.
- Wirnda Barna Art Centre: Located in Mount Magnet, Western Australia, artists here focus on depicting local stories, flora and fauna through paintings.
- Wujal Wujal Arts & Cultural Centre: Located in far north Queensland, this centre is a key hub for promoting and sustaining the local Indigenous culture.
- Yalanji Arts: Artistic hub, championing the rich cultural narratives and unique artistic expressions of the Yalanji people in Mossman, North of Cairns, Queensland.
- Yarliyil Art Centre: Based in Halls Creek, Western Australia, it showcases paintings that reflect the rich stories and history of the region.
- Yarrabah Art Centre: Located in Yarrabah, Queensland, they're celebrated for their ceramics, prints, textiles, and traditional artifacts.
- Yarrenyty Arltere Artists: Situated in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, they’re known for their soft sculptures, textiles, printmaking and short animations.
- Yinjaa-Barni Art: Located in Roebourne, Western Australia, it's a group of artists who produce calming coastal desert artworks.
Peak Bodies
Association of Northern, Kimberley and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists (ANKAAA): A leading not-for-profit Aboriginal Corporation and the first peak advocacy and support organisation for Indigenous art in Australia. They focus on art centres from the Kimberley and Top End of the Northern Territoy.
Desart: Represents Central Australian Aboriginal Art Centres and provides a platform for sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise.
Indigenous Art Centre Alliance (IACA): Represents and supports the Indigenous art centres across Far North Queensland, from the Torres Straits.
Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia (AACHWA): Represents Indigenous art centres throughout Western Australia.
Ku Arts (also known as Ananguku Arts) Represents and provides support for Indigenous artists and art centres in South Australia.
Image: Eunice Napanangka Jack of Ikuntji Artists, Haasts Bluff - © Ikuntji Artists
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