March 21, 2018
Artworks collected in Alice Springs over 25 years will be on display in Blackbutt on April 28 to help raise funds for the Blackbutt and Benarkin Aged Care Association (BBAC) Building Fund.
BBAC is raising funds to match a $204,740 grant from the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund announced last November.
BBAC hopes to raise the remaining $60,000 it needs over the next 12 months to build two new independent living units at its Scott Haven complex.
Building work is expected to start this July.
The artworks showcase the development of the Tangentyere Artists in Alice Springs, where Roz Marden, former CFO of Tangentyere Council and now Secretary of BBAC, helped establish the art centre and collected most of the artworks.
“Around 400 Artists make up Tangentyere Artists – an Alice Springs based, Aboriginal-owned art centre providing arts training and workshops as well as marketing and sales support for the artists,” Roz said.
“The unique quality of Tangentyere Artists is that it represents the breadth and depth of Central Australian cultural diversity.
“There is a huge diversity in style and story, as well as medium, ranging from acrylic painting on canvas through to paintings on recycled metal objects and wooden surfaces.
“Seed jewellery and recycled metal jewellery is also made and sold from the art centre, and the paintings range from the very traditional motifs to highly contemporary modern depictions of life.”
Roz said the centre provides a platform that allows artists to express themselves, their lives and cultural values, while enriching their community wellbeing and family livelihoods.
And customers know that purchasing art from Tangentyere Artists helps supporting members of every Aboriginal community in central Australia.
“The benefits flow from artists to their extended families and beyond,” Roz said.
A large proportion of the artists in Central Australia are family of Australia’s foremost Aboriginal artist, the late Albert Namatjira, and were inspired by him to commence painting in the European style until the dot painting style was developed.
With their own creativity, these artists have now branched into various modes of art, and Tangentyere Artists have helped them find the confidence and resources to do this.
The artworks will be on display and sale at the Blackbutt Memorial Hall in Bowman Road, Blackbutt from 10:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday, April 28.
Half of all sales will be donated to the Blackbutt and Benarkin Aged Care Association’s Building Fund.
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