New Gallery for the Tiwi Art Network
December 18th, 2007
In December 2007, the Tiwi Art Network moved its premises from a dark office in the city to a brighter, cleaner space in leafy Parap, which is fast becoming the new arts hub of Darwin!
Please note our new address:
3/3 Vickers St, Parap NT 0820
or
PO Box 2806, Parap NT 0804
We are excited about the new space as it gives us a chance to have a small gallery of Tiwi art from the three art centres. We have on offer ochre paintings on paper, paintings on canvas, pottery, ironwood carvings, screen-printed fabric, silver jewellery and silk scarves.
The gallery will be open Wednesdays to Fridays, 10am-5pm and Saturdays, 10am-2pm.
Tiwi Potters on show at Shepperton Gallery
December 14th, 2007
Congratulations to our Tiwi potters whose works have been selected for display in the Inaugural 2007 Indigenous Ceramic Art Award at the Shepparton Gallery. The artists are: Cyril James Kerinauia, Jock Puatujimi, John Patrick Kelantumama, Mark Virgil Puautjimi, and Robert Edward Puruntatameri. The exhibition will open on 14 December.
http://www.sheppartonartgallery.com.au/
Tiwi Islands on the Loney Planet Website
December 10th, 2007
Listen to the podcast on Tiwi art on the Lonely Planet website. The journalist has interviewed Tessie Tipunwuti and Romolo Tipiloura, carvers at Tiwi Design, as well as Angela Hill, the manager.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelstories/podcast/tiwi_art_1207/
New Silk Scarves
November 10th, 2007
Read about the silk scarf painting workshops that have recently been delivered at Garden Point and Snake Bay on Melville Island. Some of the Munupi artists have been involved in this training. Scarves are avilable for purchase from Munupi Arts & Crafts (08) 8978 3975 or munupi@tiwiart.com
Sculptural Objects and Functional Art Expo in Chicago
November 2nd, 2007
Have a look at these images of the Tiwi Design ceramics display at the Sculpture Objects and Functional Art Expo in Chicago in early November. Tiwi Design ceramics were included in the Jam Factory display alongside Hermannsburg Potters and Ernabella Arts. Congratulations to Yell (John Patrick Kelantumama) who sold his famous “turtle boat” sculpture.
http://www.sofaexpo.com/advertise/media/ceramic/index.html
Visit from the Governor General
June 14th, 2007
On Thursday 14 June, the Governor General, His Excellency Michael Jefferey and Mrs Jefferey visited Tiwi Design as part of an official visit to the Tiwi Islands. Alan Kerinauia, the chairman of Tiwi Design, presented the Governor General a gift of fabric screen-printed by Osmond Kantilla in the colours of the Tiwi Bombers, as well as a book describing the history of art and craft production at Tiwi Design. The visitors we given a screen printing demonstration by Alan and Osmond, and a tour of the art centre by painters, Jean, Josette, Ita, Roslyn and Renee.
The Governor General said that although his visit was brief, he was impressed with the range of works on display and he congratulated the artists.
Preparations for Kitty Kantilla Exhibition
May 24th, 2007
On Tuesday 24 April a crew of artists head down to Melbourne for the grand opening of the Kitty Kantilla Retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria (Ian Potter Centre). Dymphna Kerinauia, Cabrini Wilson, Marie-Carmel Kerinauia (all relatives of the late Kitty Kantilla), Pedro Wonaeamirri, Patrick Freddy Puruntatameri, Brenda Tipungwuti and Jean Baptiste Apuatimi will be there for the opening events. As is tradition, Pedro and Patrick will be placing a tunga (basket) on the pukumani pole before the proceedings begin. Other Tiwi artists are currently involved in making the outfits for the Tiwi to wear when they perform traditional Tiwi dance at the launch event.
This is a very significant exhibition for Jilamara Arts & Crafts, as Kitty Kantilla is still known as the “Queen of Jilamara”. She broke a lot of ground in terms of her style and her success. So this will be an opportunity to honour this special woman from Melville Island.
The exhibition opens on Friday 27 April. There will be a floor talk by the artists at 11.30am and a talk by former and current Tiwi art centre managers at 2pm on Friday.
At the same time, another Jilamara exhibition will open in Melbourne : Ngarramukuyiri jilamara kartakuni (painting designs on ironwood) at Alcaston Gallery. This show will celebrate the precise works of the Jilamara Carvers.
Kitty Kantilla Retrospective
April 26th, 2007
On Thursday 26 April, the NGV held an opening function for the Kitty Kantilla Retrospective. The event was attended by the Indigenous Arts industry, members and friends of the NGV plus a lot of friends of the Tiwi artists and the old lady, Kitty Kantilla. There to lend support for the Tiwi artists were several past managers of Jilamara, Munupi, Tiwi Design and the Tiwi Art Network.
It was an emotional day for the Tiwi artists, seeing the work of the old lady hanging on display in the gallery, and then paying tribute to her that evening. The Tiwi dressed in traditional wear to show their dances from country.
The catalogue accompanying the exhibition was also launched at the event.
Click on link below to watch a short video of our trip to Melbourne. With thanks to Archie Roach for the use of his beautiful song.
Tiwi Art Network Business Planning
April 16th, 2007
On April 16 and 17, the Tiwi Art Network held a business planning workshop at Munupi Lodge, Garden Point (Melville Island). The Tiwi executive members, art centre managers, and TAN Manager all came together for 2 days to talk about the future path for TAN. With so many opportunities for this unique marketing organisation, we felt that it was time to look at our resources and strengths and streamline the activities that TAN focuses on. Thanks to Vokili Shiell at ANKAAA, we received funding to pay for a consultant, Sam Togni (from Matrix on Board) to facilitate the business planning process. Sam came up from Sydney to spend a few days on the island. She was very impressed with the contributions made by the participants, especially their attendance up until 7.00 in the evening.
Funding provided by the Tiwi Land Council and Arts NT allowed us to use Munupi Lodge as the venue. This meant we were able to have a quiet area away from the art centres to talk openly as well as socialise. Not bad, doing a business plan with a view of the Apsley Strait, the odd crocodile, and fresh barra for lunch! By the end, the executives were asking if we could do it again next year! Thanks to Sam’s leadership, we were all able to exchange information and ideas about the organisation, which was an important outcome for the process.
Reconnecting with Country
February 10th, 2007
Tiwi Design has received a grant from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the Australia Council to maintain knowledge of traditional art and craft practice between generations through artist-run workshops. The project will run from February to August 2007 and will involve artists and members of the community reconnecting with country through a series of culture camps.
Next week, Tiwi Design artists will take senior culture women and men in the community back to their country to exchange and record stories about totemic places created during the Parlinari or creation period. The artists will collect ironwood and bark to begin a series of tunga and carving workshops based on traditional ceremonies and practices from the past. Senior men and women will teach the younger generations how to make tunga, ceremonial armbands and head dress, ceremonial spears and tutini poles and other items connected to ceremony. The artists will consider the meaning of the designs on work from the past to inform their current practice.
Armbands
