The Blak Markets are returning to Barangaroo Reserve this Sunday, 2 July from 11am-5pm for a special Aboriginal art market to mark the start of NAIDOC week 2017.
Artists from 11 remote Australian arts centres will bring their original artworks, sculptures textiles and accessories to the special NAIDOC event to exhibit and sell to the public. There will also be workshops, demonstrations and shows throughout day.
First Hand Solutions, Curator, Lyndsay Urquhart said: “This is an exciting first for the Blak Markets and a rare opportunity for Sydneysiders to buy high quality Aboriginal art directly from a diverse range of artists from remote art centres across Australia.
“We are thrilled to create the opportunity for visitors to meet these talented artists and browse a beautiful selection of their work, with a mix of price points to suit a range of budgets,” said Urquhart.
Artists will travel to Sydney from art centres including:
- APY Art Centre Collective (Amata, SA)
- Artists of Ampilatwatja (Ampilatwatja, NT)
- Babbarra Women’s Centre (Maningrida, NT)
- Bula'bula Arts (Ramingining, NT)
- Martumili Artists (Newman, WA)
- Mimi Aboriginal Arts and Crafts (Katherine, NT)
- Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency (Fitzroy Crossing, WA)
- Rukaji Designs (Fitzroy Crossing, WA)
- Tangentyere Artists (Alice Springs, NT)
- Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation (Yuendumu, NT)
- Yarrenyty Arltere Artists (Alice Springs, NT)
The artists will be coming to Sydney as a part of the "Heart in Art" initiative started by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and First Hand solutions. The initiative was started to provide economic and professional development opportunities to Aboriginal artists working in remote communities around Australia.
Barangaroo Delivery Authority, Executive Director, Activation and Precinct Management, Sandra Bender, said: “We’re delighted to bring Aboriginal artists from remote areas of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia together at Barangaroo, alongside local Aboriginal artists to showcase and sell their work and join a special NAIDOC Week celebration.”
As a part of the open-air market, there will be more than 30 stalls to buy from, bush tucker cooking demonstrations from On Country Kitchen's own Mark 'The Black Olive' Olive, Indigiearth and Jody Orcher; live music by Jessie Lloyd with Emma Donovan, Marcus Corowa, Yallah Mundee Mallin-gan, and Freshwater; Aboriginal dance performances by Thikkabilla (Dubbo), YadhaMayi (Central Coast), and Wagana (Greater Sydney); language and culture workshops; Aboriginal Cultural Tours of Barangaroo Reserve; and a Tribal Warrior Tour to Goat Island.
The Blak Markets is organised by First Hand Solutions, which is an Aboriginal social enterprise dedicated to providing hands-on solutions to issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
