APY Arts Centre Collective
The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (20:33): I move:
That this Council—
- Acknowledges the importance of Indigenous art centres in their celebration of culture and contribution to First Nations communities;
- Welcomes the opening of a dedicated Umoona Community Arts Centre in Coober Pedy; and
- Notes the success that the APY Arts Collective has achieved on a national and international level.
The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (20:44): I rise today to indicate that the Liberal Opposition will be supporting the Hon. Tammy Franks to recognise and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous art centres.
The APY Art Centre Collective is a group of 10 Indigenous-owned and governed art centres that work together on innovative artistic projects and strong business initiatives.
Bringing together the work of a range of APY local art centres and some 500 artists who do their work in those centres, the APY Art Centre Collective provides a location in Adelaide where they can do their work when in the city, and also provides gallery space for them to promote their work.
It is incredible to see that some of the artists are now winning major international art prizes and having exhibitions around the world, as mentioned by the mover. Many countries around the world celebrate their Indigenous cultures and promote their artists. Therefore, the work by the art collective is significant, because they assist APY artists to commercialise their creative work and sell interstate and overseas.
APYACC recognises that art centre businesses are the beating heart of our communities. Their vision is to support every person of working age to have culturally affirming employment and earn an independent income so that they can succeed.
The APY Lands are home to seven art centres, which, along with studios in Adelaide and Umoona in Coober Pedy, facilitate and market the work of more than 500 Indigenous artists, as I mentioned earlier.
The Umoona Community Arts Centre is the latest permanent fixture to be added to the APYACC, having opened its doors earlier this year, and provides an important space for Indigenous artists in Coober Pedy and the surrounding area to gather, learn and engage with the community.
Umoona Arts was established in 2020, with more than 30 artists from different language groups, ages and generations, embracing different mediums and diverse styles, working alongside each other.
The new facility is the result of years of community-led advocacy and provides studio spaces and exhibition galleries, along with collaborative spaces for workshops and community engagement programs.
The prestigious standing of the APYACC within the Indigenous arts industry has seen the art centre flourish, being home to some of the best known and most collectible Indigenous artists in the country.
Most of the funds generated by the APYACC are returned to the community on the APY lands. It is one of the most significant sources of non-government money that generates economic activity in these communities.
The model is underpinned by modest government funding of approximately $245,000 per year, which supports the enabling work undertaken by the administration of the group.
However, as the mover, the Honourable Member, pointed out, we understand that this funding was unfortunately suspended by arts minister the Hon. Andrea Michaels last year, with a review put in place following the release of a video suggesting that white studio assistants were doing work for one of the artists, which became known as 'white hands on black art'.
There is nothing unusual about studio assistants aiding artists, and the Minister's review did not make any findings that were conclusive. Instead, it referred the case to the ACCC and ORIC. The ACCC has found no case to answer.
My colleagues the Hon. John Gardner and Josh Teague, the Shadow Minister for Arts and the Shadow Minister for Aboriginal affairs respectively, have both visited the APYACC and made trips to the APY lands, where they have spoken with many artists.
The diverse range of artists that they spoke with were united in the strength of their expression about the disrespect they felt from the South Australian Arts Minister, who removed their administration funding without consulting with them about it.
That the Minister refuses to reinstate their funding remains a significant black mark on the record of this Malinauskas Labor Government
In contrast, the former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the former Premier the Hon. Steven Marshall, was a regular visitor to the APY lands and a regular visitor to its art centres and to APYACC. He would regularly introduce philanthropic international business people visiting South Australia to artists and their work, leading to many sales, money that went back into supporting communities as well as those local talented artists.
In recognising the APYACC as the important cultural institution that it is, it is disappointing to see that it has been tarnished by the lack of support and respect that it is due from the arts minister and from this Labor Government.
The APY Art Centre Collective has had a large positive impact on the economic, social and cultural outlook of the communities in the APY Lands and is something that our state should be deeply proud of.
I want to thank the Hon. Tammy Franks for moving this motion and also for her ongoing passion in supporting Indigenous arts and First Nations communities.
We join the Honourable Member in calling for funding to the APYACC to be restored by the Malinauskas Labor Government.
With those words, I commend the motion.