Bringing part of central Australia to ANU
A series of events hosted at the ANU School of Art this week are showcasing the work of Indigenous artists from Maruku Arts in central Australia.
Maruku at ANU, organised by ANU Undergraduate Student of the Year and Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws student Tess Kelly, includes an exhibition, marketplace and dot painting workshops.
Four Maruku Artists - Billy Cooley, Lulu and Sissy Cooley and Judy Okai – are visiting ANU to launch the event, demonstrate their techniques and sell their works directly to the public at the marketplace.
ANU students Tess and Issy with Maruku artists Billy and Lulu Cooley.
Maruku Arts is a non-profit organisation and one of Australia’s longest running Anangu (Aboriginal) art centres. It supports over 800 artists in the central desert and is helping to keep traditional culture alive.
Tess Kelly was awarded Undergraduate Student of the Year for her outreach work with the Mutitjulu community near Uluru in the Central Desert.
The idea to host a Maruku Art show at ANU came about through a trip that Tess organised last year, taking ten students from John XXIII College to visit the Mutitjulu community.
“During our visit to the Mutitjulu community last year we developed a ten year plan to build the College’s relationship with the community,” says Kelly.
“One of the ideas was to invite some artists to Canberra for an art show and to talk about their work, as many Maruku artists don’t get the opportunity to show their work outside their local area. It’s also a great opportunity to show them around Canberra and introduce them to students at ANU, many of whom have never met people from remote Indigenous communities.”
James Lowrey, Alexandra Kaye and Isabel Doraisamy from John XXIII College will take another group to Mutitjulu to continue the project later in the year.
The ten-year plan is documented in a painting which is on display as part of the exhibition. The students created it with artist Judy Okai while visiting last year.
Tess has been working with the Mutitjulu community since she was in high school, and her father worked with young people from Indigenous communities. Since coming to ANU, she has maintained her connection with the community.
“Supporting Indigenous Australians and reconciliation is something I grew up with, and something I’ve always been interested in and passionate about,” she says.
The ANU connection with Maruku Arts however runs even deeper. The General Manager of Maruku Arts is Clive Scollay, an ANU alumnus and 1979 H C Coombs Creative Arts Fellow.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young and Secretary of the Treasury Dr Martin Parkinson PSM officially opened the exhibition, Punu and Paint: An Exhibition of Desert Art, on Wednesday 14 May.
Artwork by Sandy Willie, Watiku Tjukurrpa 2014, Courtesy of Maruku Arts.
Maruku at ANU program
Punu and Paint: An exhibition of Desert Art
Launch event: 7pm, Wednesday 14 May
Foyer Gallery, ANU School of Art
Exhibition dates: Tuesday 6 May - Friday 16 May
Gallery opening hours
Monday – Friday: 10.30am – 5pm
Saturday: Noon – 5pm
Closed Sunday and Public Holidays
The Maruku Marketplace
Library Courtyard, ANU School of Art
Thursday 15 May: 11am – 6.30pm
Maruku Dot Painting Workshops
ANU School of Art
Friday 16 May
10 – 11.30am , and 12.30 – 2pm
$55 for students, $70 for adults
Enquiries: please contact Tess Kelly