Aboriginal Art Exhibition - Voice, Treaty, Truth.
Organisers of community art exhibitions never really know how many artworks will be delivered. The dimensions of each work and their chosen form can also be as diverse as they are surprising.
But the curators of the annual NAIDOC Community Art Exhibition, Leanne Tobin, Wayne Cornish and Brad Moore, took this in their stride this month. Katoomba's Community Hall was transformed by almost 100 artworks, which included paintings, sculpture, craft and cultural objects such as digging sticks and boomerangs.
Local people have used the language of art to share their culture across the millennia. This tradition was continued with the show being opened by Gundungurra man, Ian Colless and Darug man Lex Dadd, welcoming the audience to Country. Jo Clancy and the Wagana Aboriginal Dancers invited everyone to place hands on the floor and connect with Country. Peter and Katie Williams and family danced and Uncle Bidjiwong (Lex Dadd) also helped entertain everyone at the opening.
A happy and warm crowd gathered for the NAIDOC show, which extended through the weekend. Thanks to Uncle Ed Walker and Kerrie Miller who volunteered their weekend to receive the constant flow of visitors. Credit is due to the huge effort put in by the Aboriginal Culture and Resource Centre staff and the support provided by Blue Mountains City Council and its Aboriginal Advisory Council members, Aunty Bev Ward and Aunty Elly Begg.
The artists were acknowledged with awards generously sponsored by ColourArt, The Black Door Gallery, Mountain High Pies and the Grandview Hotel at Wentworth Falls.
The People's Choice was awarded to Katie Williams, and Mea-Mei Stanbury and Jay Dent shared the Youth Award.
A happy and warm crowd gathered for the NAIDOC show.
This year's NAIDOC week theme - Voice Treaty Truth - was selected by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. The audience at Katoomba certainly listened to Aboriginal voices. Historical information such as the Uluru Statement (Makarrata) was displayed while an Aboriginal Certificate of Exemption card and secret instructions from the Admiralty to James Cook prepared the public to acknowledge mistakes from our complicated past.
