Art centre a thriving hub on Badu By MARK ROY
Back row from left: Philamon Nona, Stanley Jackonia, Meku Dau, Tai Naimaibai, Ralph Nona. Front row: Walter Nona
THERE is definitely something in the air at the Badu Arts Centre (Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh). Not only does the arts centre hold awesome workshops on a weekly basis, but it has become a cool place to hang out on the weekend. Art Centre manager Richard Butler said there was increasing demand for weekend and evening hours use. “We are working to become multi purpose use, for all kinds of cultural activities.” He said a group of young boys who had started coming to the Art Centre on the weekend, and were working hard on their art skills. “The boys come to the centre, are very well behaved, follow advice and rules and are courteous,” Mr Butler said. “In return they are provided with best quality pencils, reference books and a place to draw.” He said after a few months of relative quiet, the board and new management were bringing about
substantial changes to make the centre the cultural hub of Badu. “Laurie Nona and Jospeh Au lead a committed board,” he said. “Included in our plans is a revised schedule for operating hours, including weekends and afterwork hours, the inclusion of elders, the inclusion of children and some hot new facilities including a wood-fired pizza oven.” The centre is catering for skills at all levels, with workshops planned across a range of media including printmaking, photographic archiving, carving and bronze casting. Dianna Abiad held a workshop in fabrics during May. “Diana has been asked to develop a Badu brand, label, and advise the Art Centre on the best form of digital to fabric output, where designs are created on our new iac computer and printed direct to fabric, rather than through screen printing process,” Mr Butler said. “Watch this space for a first in Torres Strait!”
Success comes in threes for Injinoo artist TEHO Ropeyarn, a young Indigenous artist from Injinoo, has three reasons to celebrate. Over the past four weeks he has been selected for inclusion in the 2012 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) exhibition, as a finalist in the national Telstra Indigenous Art Award, and has just been advised that his application for the highly competitive Australia Council ArtStart funding program has been successful. For the past two years, Ropeyarn, a UMI Arts Indigenous development officer, has worked tirelessly to support and progress the careers of other Indigenous artists in Far North Queensland through UMI Arts skills-based programs, “Exhibition Ready” and “Side by Side”. From Injinoo in the Northern Peninsula Area, Ropeyarn spent four years at the College of Fine Arts in Sydney before graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Shortly after completing his degree, Ropeyarn moved to Cairns and was accepted into
Injinoo artist Teho Ropeyarn.
TORRES NEWS
as a professional artist, or a creative practitioner working in community arts or cultural development. “I personally thank Theo Tremblay from Editions Tremblay, Anna Jones from Youth Arts Queensland and Janet Parfenovics UMI Arts Executive Officer for their letters of support and for continuing to support and provide advice into my career development. “I am really looking forward to the year ahead.” At the time of learning of his ArtStart success, Teho was in the Northern Peninsula Area, delivering Exhibition Ready to artists from the communities of New Mapoon, Bamaga, Umagico, Seisia and Injinoo in preparation for their exhibition at UMI Arts which opens on Thursday, June 14. The Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award will be judged on Friday, August 10, and a week later, Teho’s work will go on display at the Cairns Regional Gallery as part of the CIAF exhibition curated by Avril Quaill.
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UMI Arts “Exhibition Ready” program which culminated in his first solo exhibition in late 2010. In early, 2011, Ropeyarn became the Indigenous development officer at UMI Arts, the peak Indigenous arts and cultural organisation for Far North Queensland which is managed by an all-Indigenous board of directors. But he still finds time to pursue his first love which is making art. “I am currently working on a new body of print works based on stories passed down from Elders focusing on preserving all aspect of Injinoo culture including traditions and beliefs, art, stories and language of our people from my home community of Injinoo,” Ropeyarn said.. “I am also very excited about the opportunities that the Australia Council for the Arts ArtStart program will give me. “It provides financial assistance to recent creative arts graduates who are committed to establishing a career
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