Cicada Trading Pty Ltd Is As an Exporter of Australian Indigenous Art

Clear Lake, Houston – April 2006 – Press Release

CLEAR LAKE’S 3RD ANNUAL ABORIGINAL ART SHOW

The Australian Indigenous Art Industry in Australia has seen a constant growth in the past few years, with interest both locally within Australia and internationally. The Australian Government acknowledges that Australia's Indigenous culture, art and heritage are dynamic and powerful forces in contemporary Indigenous society and a unique aspect of Australian life. To support this, a number of Australian Government State and Federal departments have been assigned to assist in developing, protecting and promoting the Australian Indigenous Arts. The interest in Australian Indigenous Art has grown significantly worldwide, reflected in the number exhibitions and articles in news publications, and in people’s desire to better understand the longest, continuous living art form in the world.

Cicada Trading Pty Ltd (www.cicada-trading.com) is an exporter of Australian Indigenous Art. Cicada has a collection of high quality Australian Contemporary Indigenous artwork from a number of regions across Australia. The Indigenous artwork it exports includes original acrylic canvasses and limited edition prints. Cicada sources art for collectors outside Australia and has a reputation for its high quality artwork and its passion for Australian Indigenous art and culture and its people.

Cicada works in partnership with a number of indigenous communities’ art centres and directly with the artists where there is no community outlet for their work. Cicada’s aim is to encourage individuality and self determination and help the artists achieve international recognition. Cicada feel fortunate to be able to spend time with a number of communities on a regular basis and build strong relationships and friendships with them.

Cicada has held a number of exhibitions over the past 2 years, including Clear Lake, Atlanta, Denver, New York, Milan, Istanbul and Dubai. In addition to Clear Lake in April 2006, upcoming exhibitions for 2006 include Paris, London, Milan and Abu Dhabi.

Cicada’s Director, Anne Speed, swapped a long career as a senior IT Manager for a new life which combines her passion for travel, discovery, people and art. She spends a week every 6 weeks visiting the artists in their communities and, over the past 3 years, has forged strong relationships with them. Her company, Cicada Trading, is committed to promoting the art of Aboriginal Artists, working mostly with the women of Utopia, in the Central Desert Region of Australia. Mrs Speed stated that “she is very honoured and excited to be able to present Australian Indigenous Art to Clear Lake residents for the 3rd year running, and especially promote the young, new artists whose art is bold and dramatic, visually contemporary yet always incorporating ancient traditional inherited designs and dreamtime stories. Their Dreamtime stories, which date back thousands of years and are significant to their cultural heritage, are perpetually handed down from one generation to another and vary from one group to the next. While the men’s designs are usually more sacred in nature and of ritual spiritual significance, the women’s designs include not only the ceremonial body paint designs, but also details of everyday life and food collecting ('bush tucker'). Even though these simple and elegant designs can symbolise leaves, food, medicinal plants, they can also contain deeper more sacred

Clear Lake, Houston – April 2006 – Cicada Press Release Page 1 of 3 meaning. From being originally, thousands of years ago, drawn in the sand, painted on cave walls or rock surfaces or painted on their bodies for ceremonial purposes, this traditional art in more recent times has been transferred to new mediums such as paintings on canvas or linen, etchings, linocuts, screenprints, textiles, glass or wooden objects. Cicada is proud to present this beautiful art which is now available for all to appreciate and enjoy.”

Boondoggles Pub and Pizzeria (www.boondogglespub.com) will be showing Cicada works on 29th April 2006 from 2pm. At around 4pm, Anne Speed will provide a brief audio visual presentation on her travels to the outback to meet the wonderful artists Cicada represents and explain some of the dreamtime stories represented in the artworks on display. This art show has been timed to coincide with one of the most important Australian commemoration days, ANZAC Day. Boondoggles Pub and Pizzeria, 4106 Nasa Rd. One, El Lago, TX 77586 from 2pm (Phone: 281-326- 2739 or 281-326-7827) is proud to organize a truly Aussie day to mark both ANZAC day and Cicada’s art show.

Below are some of the works that will be on show and available for purchase at Boondoggles:

Gladdy Kemarre – 13*13” Olie Kemarre – 14*15” Lucky Morton – 22*22”

Barbara ReId Napangka – 12*37”

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