Special funding recognises the value of Indigenous arts organisations

Aboriginal Art Directory | 07.03.08

Author: Peter Garrett
News source: Department of the Environment, Heritage and the Arts

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett today announced funding of $1.3 million from the Indigenous Visual Arts Special Initiative to provide 24 Indigenous art centres with infrastructure, training and marketing support.

“This investment recognises the importance of the Indigenous art industry to Australia and the real benefits the arts centres deliver to many Indigenous artists and communities,” Mr Garrett said.

“Indigenous art centres and organisations are the backbone of Australia’s Indigenous arts industry. The art centres themselves are financial partners in many of the projects being supported by this funding.

“The funding will assist these centres with priority projects. It will also support the important work they do to ensure that Indigenous artists are being treated fairly and that they are receiving appropriate remuneration for their work.”

In 2007–08 special initiative funding will support 28 one-off projects to build the sustainability
of Indigenous arts organisations across a range of areas. Projects funded through this initiative
include:

A development program for Central Australian art centre managers (NT, SA and WA) to be delivered by Desart, the peak body for art centres in the region
The construction of staff accommodation for Warakurna Artists in remote WA to allow this successful art centre to expand services to its artists
A survey and marketing project to be conducted by Arts Northern Rivers in northern NSW to boost the profile of Indigenous artists from this region.

The special initiative funding complements the National Arts and Crafts Industry Support program and is in line with the findings of a recent Senate Committee Report into the Indigenous visual art sector, Indigenous Art—Securing the Future. This report acknowledged the significance of Australia’s Indigenous visual arts and craft as one of the world’s great contemporary movements in art.

Visit www.arts.gov.au/indig for more information on the National Arts and Crafts Industry Support program.

Funds provided through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, a joint initiative of the Australian, State and Territory governments, contribute to this special initiative funding.

Media contact: Margot Marshall 02 6277 7640 or 0418 624 847

Share this: » del.icio.us » Digg it » reddit » Google » StumbleUpon » Technorati » Facebook