Warlukurlangu Art Centre

The Warlukurlangu Arts Centre is a non profit Aboriginal owned community art gallery. Local artists get paid up front for their art, plus extra when it's sold. They get a fair chunk of the proceeds. There are a lot of costs; paints, the premises, insurances, utilities, food, tea, frames, drying racks, wages for employees, etc etc. 

Right: the pots of paint ready to give to the artists.

Volunteers aren't paid at all of course. It's a great way to provide work to the community on an as needs basis. Artists stroll in and out when they feel like it. Same for helpers who can prep canvasses etc. 

Left: the different paints are mixed ready to go with each different colour is numbered.

We were in Yuendumu to volunteer as workers in the art centre. Met Otto the town elder out the front of the art centre. who told us all about how he'd been to Belgium recently touring around Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent, France, China and Korea as an esteemed artist. Sounds pretty magic. He brought back some Belgian chocolate for his grandkids. This week he's flying to Canberra for an exhibition. He pointed us to the alley where the volunteers compound is.

Right: the 30x30cm prestretched at the gallery entrance.

Chris arrived nearly at the same time by coincidence, and Gloria came later. We started to set up the tent. Benny the dog peed on the cover and the fly. It was of some concern that the tent would get marked, as all the dogs would want to put theirs on it. After a quick rinse, so far it's been kept clean. We put up next to the dogs swimming-pool drinking bowl so hope the pee gods keep us protected. The donga, as shipping container sleeping bunks as called, is pretty cool, with a wide wooden deck, a tree in the middle, and plants near the fence. The compound is surrounded by a 6 foot cyclone fence topped with stiff circles of jail grade barbed wire. The two dogs are also nice to have as well.

Left: the main part of the gallery.


Met Avarro, Zia, Tess, Yolande (pronounced Yolandee), Glen, Enrique.

Right: a model and the end product.

Rolled out of the tent after a late night chatting with Avaro. His father lives in Valencia. He was telling us about the origins of Spanish. Apparently the Castillian, the main dialect, was only spoken by shepherds in the north, but it was easy to learn, so became the language that people could use to communicate. Now it is common in the south.

Started by watering the garden. Me and Ollie painted clap sticks. Eliza asked me to paint some canvases red colour. Turns out the acrylic paint is artist standard, so hard to get off, as Lou found when I accidentally splattered some red on his new cat beanie and pride and joy.

We asked about our skin colour, which is like your family membership. I started as Wanda which means son, then Japenari that means kinship. Then it was hey Japenari, can I get some white paint? Hey Japenari, the dogs tipped the paint over over there. Japenari, what time is it? Knock off is at 3pm, so everyone was out by about 2.15pm to be sure. Volunteers were thin on the ground during and after lunch. Hell we started very slowly at 9, so you don't want to push it. I heard a lot of "hey Japenari" after that.

From left to right, there was Eliza, a young cool guy who spoke pretty decent English. Then Sarah, then Dorothy who is the main one, then Stephen who didn't chat a lot. Some other lady came in, and had them all in stitches. I wish like hell I could understand what all the laughter was about.

Day 2 went for a run out to the air strip as my jeans are getting tight. Was working on the steel shelves with Blim, so didn't spend as much time with the artists. Gave out some tea in the afternoon after a few requests while I was walking past. Cleaned up as much rubbish as I could find around the place, as I really don't like litter all over the place.