On Monday 2^nd June, I travelled to Tennant Creek with Lenie Namatjira & Gwenda Namatjira to Likkapurta community, which is 60km North West of Tennant Creek on the Barkly Highway.

We also travelled with Desart workers Phillip, Hannah, Marlene & Parris and workshop facilitators Rolande (collage), Sandy (weaving) and Steven (photography).

While we were there we met a lot of ladies from different art centres around the Barkly region. Many have travelled from far away to be at the workshop. All the ladies there were very friendly and funny at times.

We started the first day of the workshop with general information about the community and meal times for everyone.

Everyone met the facilitators and broke off into groups and began to work. Many of the ladies decided to do weaving and some stayed with Rolande to collage. There were a few young people and they went off with Steven and did some photo shoots around the community.

Rolande gave a short presentation and background of her heritage and how she came to work with collaging. She also spoke about the different art groups she has worked with from around Australia.

The first day was a great start to the next few days of working hard and having fun as well.

So each day we continued on our work for the previous day. Some of the ladies got the hang of weaving and collaging that it was fun and enjoyable for those who only did it for the first time.

We also went for a short drive because some of the ladies wanted to go hunt for porcupine. We went out but were not able to find one- not that Lenie, Gwenda and myself were keen for porcupine!

That evening we watched a movie on a large blow up screen that was provided by the Barkly Council. We watch The Sapphires and on the next night we watched 10 Canoes, but before we enjoyed the movie, Steve had worked with Neil and Tiana from Mungkarta Community which is just south of Tennant Creek. They put together a short movie clip and photos taken that day around the community. It was fun to watch, and great for them as it was probably the first time they had worked with a camera, put together with music as well.

All in all it was a great trip and both Lenie and Gwenda very much enjoyed the trip away even if it was only for one week. I know that we will all benefit from this workshop because we were able to meet and connect with art centres from the Barkly region. I hope that this will continue to help and encourage other artist from our art centre to be involved.

-Marisa Maher

We are very excited to announce that our very own Ivy will feature in this year’s Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Continuing the legacy of the Dobell Prize for Drawing (1993–2012), this is the first in a series of curated exhibitions on Australian drawing, supported by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation.The inaugural exhibition will feature the work of Australian artists for whom drawing is central to their practice and who work in and from the landscape.
The exhibition runs from November 21, 2014 until January 26, 2015. For more information, click here.

Ngurratjuta is excited to announce that Alcaston Gallery will be showcasing the work of Douglas Abbott next month. A selection of hand-picked watercolours will show at the gallery from July 22 until August 8. The exhibition is called My Father’s Country, The West MacDonnell Ranges at the gallery which is located at 11 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, Victoria.
For more information, visit the Alcaston Gallery.
For more of Douglas’s work, click here.

Ngurratjuta Many Hands will be at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair in August! We will be showcasing watercolours alongside the Hermannsburg Potters Aboriginal Corporation and the artists will be running masterclasses to show you how to paint beautiful landscapes!

For more information head here!

Come and join Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra Arts Centre, Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Yarrenyty Arltere Artists and Tangentyere Artists as they showcase a variety of local art. From delicate watercolours (for sale at Tangentyere gallery) to phenomenal fibre art; to innovative art, film and sculpture to painted stories of the Town Camps. This is a fantastic way to support local and 100% Indigenous owned arts enterprises.
The Aboriginal Art Precinct is pleased to be presenting the Art Bus for this year’s Beanie Fest and encourages all art lovers to experience the wonder of these talented artists. Running a continuous loop from 10am and at a cost of only $5 per person, travellers will be able to view four very different art forms!
Another highlight of the day will be the presentation at the “Five generations: The strength of Namatjira’s legacy” Exhibition at the Araluen Art Gallery. Presented by Araluen Curator Stephen Williamson, this promises to be an exciting insight into the famous painter, his watercolours and the legacy he has left behind. The talk will be a one off starting at 11am with the chance to see works from Namatjira himself and the subsequent generations who continue his legacy.
The Bus will depart from outside Witchetty’s at the Araluen Cultural Precinct from 10am with the last run at 2pm. And all the art centres will remain open until 3pm for those wanting to peruse a little longer!

The collective has been nominated for their work Knara Nunaka Tjurretja – Our Big Country: the West MacDonnell Ranges which will be exhibited in Darwin at the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory from Friday 8 August to Sunday 26 October, 2014.