IACA facilitated arts development workshop for the Belonging Exhibition

The 2019 IACA facilitated arts and skills development workshop at Yalanji Art centre was a pivotal point for Yalanji Arts, bringing together and engaging new artists to the art centre. IACA facilitator, Edwina Circuit, brought her expert painting skills and extensive experience working in Indigenous art centres to share with the Yalanji Arts crew. The artists and art workers received professional training and skills development using acrylic paints; including the introduction of new painting mediums and methods using high quality materials. 

The workshop taught Yalanji artists how to cut, stretch and prime canvases to a high industry standard. The art workers were shown the best paints and materials to work with, and works began on high quality linen canvas. The artists went bush with IACA and collected ochre pigments and coloured clay from Country, these were then ground up and added to acrylic paints and mediums, imbuing the work with a deep connection to country and creating a new palette reflecting the natural environment. 

The IACA facilitated arts development workshop was a roaring success with incredible artistic ability revealing itself, it was evidence of the results that can be achieved through a thoughtful, well led and inspired skills development training.  Yalanji Arts is excited for the upcoming group exhibition, which will see IACA partner with the National Museum of Australia to host the Belonging exhibition in mid-2021. 

The resulting painting skills developed during this time led into the production of new work and completion of existing works to form the Ngana Muruku Karday (We all Come Together) NAIDOC exhibition currently on display at Douglas Shire Council Foyer.

Yalanji Arts would like to thank IACA and Edwina Circuit for all their continued support.