Two-hundred and eighty kilometres south of Halls Creek in the East Kimberly region of Western Australia in the Tanami Desert, the Centenary of Federation will make its mark in a quiet but very important way.
The Wirrimanu Arts and Cultural Centre at Balgo Hills, run by the Warlayirti artists, has received funding under the Federation Cultural and Heritage Projects program, to build a Cultural Centre. The facility will become a focus for this unique and important regional arts centre.
The administrators, Tim Acker and Erica Izett, told Artbeat the Cultural Centre will mark the second stage of a development begun several years ago.
'It will repay the community-and the children and grandchildren of the original artists-for many years of artistic success, with a facility to showcase the artistic and cultural history and practices of the extraordinary people of this desert region. It will be a mix of the contemporary, historical, commercial and artistic,' Erica said.
This will not be before time: business is booming, and there is a huge increase in visitor demand and artist numbers.
Balgo Hills artists are considered by many to be the most innovative and daring painters working in Central Australia, having carved out international reputations. The region's art demonstrates a strong link with the land and traditional art in its own right, with vivid use of colour and strong iconic imagery characterising the work.
There is a solid core of about 20 well recognised artists in the fine art market. These include Eubena Nampitjin, Lucy Yukenbarri, Helicopter Tjungurrayi, Bai Bai Napangarti, Elizabeth Nyumi, Boxer Milner and Tjumpo Tjapanangka. Their work is exhibited regularly in a wide ranging exhibition program and has been collected by all of the major national galleries and many private collections.
Contact
Tim Acker and Erica Izett
phone: (08) 9168 8960
email: admin@balgoart.org.au
