Yaama Ganu Centre gets behind Leap for Mick online auction
MOREE’S Yaama Ganu Centre has donated Parpul to the Leap for Mick online art auction.
Parpul was painted by renowned artist Yikartu Bumba, a member of Martumili Artists of Western Australia.
The Martu are the traditional owners of a vast area of the Great Sandy, Little Sandy and Gibson Deserts. Their country stretches from the Percival Lakes in the north, to Lake Disappointment in the south, and runs east across the Canning stock route to the Western Australia-Northern territory border.
Parpul depicts “big rock-hole” near Wirnpa in Juwaliny country, just north of the Percival Lakes area and not far from the artist’s birthplace, Lalyipuka.
Cafe Gali’s Claire Williams and Tiana Shervey with Parpul.
Yikartu now lives with the Punmu community and often paints her husband’s country, which is close to Wirnpa, but also paints her parents’ and grandparents’ country in the north of the Great Sandy Desert.
The Yaama Ganu Centre, co-funded by the Aboriginal Employment Strategy and Indigenous Land Corporation, supports artists from the local Kamilaroi nation as well as artists from communities throughout remote Australia.
The centre’s Café Gali, under the guidance of Catherine Madden and Toby Osmond, offers hands-on training to members of the local Indigenous community in all areas of hospitality.
This one-of-a-kind project has been applauded for creating highly successful and practical solutions to tackling the ongoing issues surrounding Aboriginal employment.
In the local Kamilaroi language yaama ganu translates to “welcome all”, and the positive response and ongoing support has been a clear indication that the community indeed welcomes the Yaama Ganu Centre as part of the diverse fabric of Moree.
“Each year members of the AES and the Yaama Ganu team head out to the desert to source artworks from remote Indigenous art centres in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia to bring home to Moree and exhibit,” Toby Osmond said.
“Art centres are community-based enterprises, which provide economic, social and cultural benefits to Aboriginal people and play a vital role in their communities.
“We purchase all our artworks from these community-owned centres where art sales are often the only form of income.
“This also ensures that artists are paid the market value for their work,” he said.
Parpul measures 61cm high x 61cm wide. Offers above $550 please.
Parpul can be viewed at Moree Frame and Art on Heber Street in the Max Centre, Moree.