Arts 25 Years of Keeping Art, Country and Culture Strong 1987 - 2012 BACKBONE Volume 12: Issue 1, August 2012 25th Anniversary Edition www.aboriginalart.org Working Together: ANKAAA 25 Years of Keeping Art, Country and Culture Strong 1987-2012 By Christina Davidson, ANKAAA CEO Darwin Office GPO BOX 2152, DARWIN ‘ANKAAA was - is - an organisation to both artists working through community Art NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA 0801 for Aboriginal/Indigenous people and Centres and those working independently. In Frogs Hollow Centre for the Arts still remains.’ Djambawa Marawili AM, March 1995 a large number of Aboriginal 56 McMinn Street, Darwin ANKAAA Chairman1 artists attended an Extraordinary Meeting in Ph +61 (0) 8 8981 6134 Fax +61 (0) 8 8981 6048 Darwin where the importance of Aboriginal Email [email protected] The Association of Northern Kimberley people being on the board was discussed www.ankaaa.org.au and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists celebrates (the strong Kimberley contingent included www.aboriginalart.org its 25th year in 2012. When ANKAAA the first Indigenous Chairman, Mr May, www.facebook.com.au/ANKAAA. aboriginal.artists started in 1987 under the name ANCAAA Queenie McKenzie, Rusty Peters and Peggy This publication contains the names of Aboriginal – the Association of Northern, Central and and Alan Griffiths). In December 1995 an people who have passed away. Arnhem Aboriginal Artists - the governing all-Indigenous AGM at Black Point, Cobourg All text and images are copyright the artist, Art Centres or ANKAAA (as indicated) unless board was not yet Indigenous. Felicity Peninsula passed a new constitution otherwise stated. ANKAAA Arts Backbone is Wright recalls: ‘Originally ANCAAA was consolidating and reaffirming Aboriginal © ANKAAA 2012. The views & opinions expressed in this publication are those of the a bunch of art advisers (primarily non- membership and leadership of ANKAAA authors & do not necessarily reflect those of Indigenous) coming together to talk shop. ANKAAA. Aboriginal Corporation. There was a lot of debriefing, sharing ANKAAA is a non-profit incorporated Aboriginal Association. information and drinking. No one had any Today, 25 years on, ANKAAA has Editor: Christina Davidson idea of how big the ‘industry’ would become over 5,000 members and supports 49 Publication Coordinator: Jessica Booth over the next 25 years nor how important Aboriginal-controlled Art Centres and Special thanks to John Saunders for research on a role ANCAAA’s children, ANKAAA and artists’ groups working across some one ANKAAA’s history and to Chris Durkin for his Desart, would play in all that. But we knew million square kilometres of country in collaboration with artists for this issue. ANKAAA is proudly supported by: that Indigenous artists in remote communities Northern Australia. The all-Indigenous were doing something really special, really board is made up of representatives of important and totally unique. Even if no one the four ANKAAA regions – the Tiwi much was buying it. No two communities Islands, Arnhem Land, Kimberley and had the same cultures or were making the Katherine/Darwin. ANKAAA’s Indigenous same art and nowhere else in the world was leadership is supported by advisors expert something of such antiquity being expressed in various professional areas and by a and celebrated and shared in contemporary strong commitment to continuous ongoing forms.’2 In March 1987, at the founding governance and Indigenous leadership ANCAAA meeting in Darwin, the first training. ANKAAA Business is conducted objective of the draft aims and policies in the shared language English, but this was: ‘That Aboriginal art is controlled by is the first language of only a minority of Aboriginal people’. members, many of whom speak four or more Indigenous languages. The story of how ANKAAA came to have an Indigenous board will someday need Since 1995-6 ANKAAA Chairmans Mr to be told in detail. Some important policy Tommy May and Djambawa Marawili AM and governance decisions were made have emphasised that ‘the important thing after 1992-3 when the desert Art Centres about ANKAAA is that it is an organisation left to set up their own association, which where Aboriginal people are the bosses’. Publication design: became Desart. These included the structural In February this year the board updated the Cover images: (Clockwise from top left): decision that ANKAAA membership would ANKAAA Values Statement [opposite page] Mungatopi family dancing Yirrikipayi (Crocodile) comprise of ‘adult people of Aboriginal to also emphasise the goal of Indigenous at Milikapiti, Tiwi Islands. Photo: Jilamara Arts and descent ’ living in the regions and be open and non-Indigenous people walking together, Craft. Guirr Guirr Ceremony by Warmun dancers, ‘side by side, no one in front no one East Kimberley, late 1970s – 1980. Photo: behind’. Warmun Art Centre. Warlpiri women practicing 1 November 2011, ANKAAA AGM traditional dancing for their European exhibition tour, Lajamanu, 2012. Photo: Michael Erglis. Sea 2 Felicity Wright, ‘ANCAAA/ANKAAA first 8 Rights Bungul Celebration, Baniyala Homeland, Years’ (draft), email to Christina Davidson, 14 Blue Mud Bay, 2009. Photo: Isaiah Balcombe. June 2012 2 Arts BACKBONe – ANKAAA 25TH ANNIVERSARY Volume 12: Issue 1 August 2012 25 Years of Keeping Art, Country and Culture Strong 1987-2012 13 1 1. The Meeting Place, poster for national touring exhibition of mural created by the 87 artists attending the Kaltja/Business: Industry or Culture Conference, 1996 at NT Uni, a 2 partnership with ANKAAA. 2. Rover Thomas, The Meeting Place, 3 1996. 3. Artists Installation NT Uni, The Meeting Place, 1996. Photos (1-3): ArtBack NT (Penny Tweedie and the NTU School of Fine Art). 4 4. ANKAAA Collaborative Art Work, 2004. 5. ANKAAA Collaborative Art Work 2004, Angus Cameron (ANKAAA) 5 interviewing Freddie Timms. 6. ANKAAA AGM, Darwin, 2001. 7. KALACC Festival 2005 (L-R): Freddie Timms, Gary Lee, CJ Kerinauia, Richard 6 Birrin Birrin. 7 8. Gary Lee and Karen Mills, Garma Festival of Traditional Culture. 9. ANKAAA AGM 1995, Black Point, Cobourg Peninsula. 10. Karalmulurk - ANKAAA Headquarters 8 Building at Bagot Community Darwin, 1988. 11. KARNTA – ANCAAA Exhibition of Australian Aboriginal Women’s Art, exhibition tour of South-East Asia, 1988. 12. Arnhem Regional Meeting 2002, Elcho Island. 10 9 13. Will Stubbs and Stephanie Hawkins, Arnhem Regional Meeting, 2002. All photos: ANKAAA unless otherwise stated. 11 12 4 Arts BACKBONe – ANKAAA 25TH ANNIVERSARY Volume 12: Issue 1 August 2012 strong in our hearts, bodies and in our spirit.’ Ruth Nalmakarra, Milingimbi ‘Art and culture is very old and is a living culture. It has been here since time began. I especially want to send a message out to the younger generation that are still coming up. You need to be strong and you can grow in confidence and follow in our footsteps and one day you will become one of the ANKAAA directors. It’s important that we give our culture, our language and connection to the land, because that’s who we are, ‘My strongest reflection on ANKAAA’s ‘The Land cannot talk, but those people the people of this nation.’ Peter Jigili, history over the years is of former who are in that country, they can talk, Lajamanu Chairperson Mr. May’s positive we are here to represent our Country.’ determination about Aboriginal people Djambawa Marawili AM, Blue Mud ‘Now I take back the knowledge from having control of their own Art Centre Bay other communities. I have people from management and sharing culture other Art Centres and we all come through art. A legacy that Djambawa together. We discuss whatever we Marawili has continued to build on need, or problems with the Art Centre, and strengthen. I think ANKAAA has they bring it to the AGM and from been well served by two outstanding there we try to settle it. ANKAAA is Chairpersons who have provided doing right for every organisation, continuity and excellent leadership to which is good. I’d like ANKAAA to the organisation throughout the years, get even bigger, stronger, because especially Djambawa who has either it’s one organisation that is helping all been chair or part of the executive since Art Centre communities up North… 1995.’ Karen Mills, Darwin and there is a lot of ground to cover so to speak.’ Brian Farmer Illortamini, ‘Then he started in the job, Terry Milikapiti Djambawa Marawili. He was taking over from me. He was still a young fella. Top: ANKAAA Board 2010-12. Centre: Mr. He started and I was still there, teaching ‘Art and culture is our moieties, totem Tommy May being painted for a ceremony at and showing him every time, how to and ceremonies that hold the land, KALACC 2008 (image courtesy Wes Morris) run a business. Until he understood sea and people. It’s come from the Below: ANKAAA AGM 2011. All photos: everything and then I moved back into paintings, weaving, carving. It is our ANKAAA, unless otherwise stated. Mangkaja job.’ Mr Tommy May, Fitzroy ceremony that Yolngu people sing, Crossing dance and story. Culture makes us feel Volume 12: Issue 1 August 2012 ANKAAA 25TH ANNIVERSARY – Arts BACKBONE 5 Becoming an Artist By Djambawa Marawili AM When I was a young man, around Buku Larrnggay Mulka Art Centre). sixteen or seventeen, my father taught There were only a few older people me how to make galpu (spear throwers) making art at that time. My father and spears and we used them to Wakuthi Nuwandjali Marawili was catch food. He also taught me how one of those artists. He started painting to make bilma (clap sticks) and yidaki at Numbulwar where I was born. My (didgeridoo). Then when my knowledge father was really professional in Yolngu was building up, my father decided knowledge. He kept that knowledge to teach me how to become an artist.