Posts Tagged ‘Ngurratjuta’

Posted on January 17, 2010 - by sophia

Ngurratjuta Many Hands Art Centre & Namatjira’s family

Central to the Namatjira Project has been a partnership with Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra, Many Hands Art Centre. Based in Alice Springs, Ngurratjuta represents 3rd generation Western Aranda watercolour artists who continue to paint in the tradition of their grandfather, Albert Namatjira, and many of whom are his direct descendants.

On invitation, we began visiting the art centre on Mondays and Tuesdays when their member artists are painting. We have since formed relationships with many of Albert’s grandchildren and the grandchildren of his contemporaries – Lenie Namatjira, Kevin Namatjira, Gloria Paanka, Betty Wheeler, Ivy Pareroultja and Mervyn Rubuntja to name a few. As senior custodians of the Namatjira story they have given Big hART their consent to proceed with the project.

With Ivy we visited Hermannsburg exploring the buildings and rooms Albert Namatjira would have slept in, been to school and church in and the areas where he would’ve played. In the middle of it all sat Albert’s truck – donated by Ampol during his famous trip to Sydney… now rusted and derelict.

Stemming from our partnership with Ngurratjuta Art Centre, we are developing an exhibition of contemporary watercolour works – painted by Ngurratjuta artists – to run alongside the show. The watercolour movement was initiated by Albert and his contemporaries, and the exhibition aims to highlight the strength of the current movement and to generate greater exposure for these artists.

Posted on January 15, 2010 - by sophia

The Araluen Celebration

At the culmination of our July/August creative development in Alice Springs, we have been invited by the Araluen Centre to present a celebration of the life of Albert Namatjira as part of their 2010 program. It will take place on the 7^th and 8^th of August 2010, exactly a year on from the 50^th anniversary of Albert’s death. Together with Ngurratjuta Many Hands Art Centre we will present a celebration of Albert Namatjira’s life and legacy through visual and performing arts.

The exhibition will run alongside this, and be held from 30 July to 30 August. Featuring original watercolours by Albert Namatjira’s descendants and curated by the Ngurratjuta Many Hands Art Centre, this unique exhibition will guide you through spectacular Central Desert landscapes – the artists’ country and the country that Albert used to paint. Alongside the Araluen Arts Centre’s permanent displays in the Albert Namatjira Gallery, these vibrant, contemporary works are testimony to Albert’s living legacy

Following this, the works will tour from Alice Springs to Sydney where Birrung Gallery will hold the exhibition during the Belvoir St Season of Namatjira, at their World Vision gallery in Darlinghurst.

Posted on January 14, 2010 - by sophia

From now and beyond – legacy

In conversation with the Ngurratjuta Art Centre and the Namatjira family, we have begun discussion around the ‘pay off’ the project can have for the community, and developed a number ideas for the legacy the project can leave:

-       A funded program of trips with artists to paint on country. Artists usually paint from memory at the art centre, and the art centre is not resourced to take the artists out to country

-       A funded workshop program for elders to teach children and grandchildren to paint. Artists have expressed sadness around the lack of uptake of the tradition amongst their children and grandchildren.

-       Developing the script as a study text with study guide, in liaison with a publisher and ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media)