Annual Telstra Aboriginal Art Awards 1 month away

It's nearly that time of year again,

The 26th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award's (NATSIAA) open in a months time on the 14th August. It will be very interesting to see the styles of Art that the judges like the most after a recent trend back towards more traditional styles after a period of time where more abstract styles and mediums seemed to be all the rage.

Last years major prize winner was Makinti Napanangka from Kintore in the Northern Territory. The winning painting depicted designs associated with the site of Lupulnga, a rockhole situated south of the Kintore Community. The Peewee (small bird) Dreaming is associated with this site, as well as the Kungka Kutjarra or Two Travelling Women Dreaming.

The other winners last year were:

The $4,000 Telstra General Painting Award was awarded to Doreen Reid Nakamarra, originally from the Warburton Ranges, Western Australia for her untitled work. Doreen’s painting depicts designs associated with the rockhole site of Marrapinti, west of the Pollock Hills in Western Australia.

The $4,000 Telstra Bark Painting Award was awarded to Terry Ngamandara Wilson from Gochan Jiny-jirra in the Northern Territory, for his work Gulach – Spike Rush. A senior custodian of the Gun-gulol Gu-rrenyinga group of clans Terry’s work depicts a key emblem of the clans. It is a design for gulach, the spike rush that dominates the Barlparnarra swamp country.

The $4,000 Telstra Works on Paper, was awarded to Dennis Nona from Badu Island, Torres Strait, Queensland, for his etching on paper, Dugam. Winner of last year’s $40,000 Telstra Award for his 3.5m bronze crocodile Ubirikubiri, Dennis is widely acknowledged as an important Torres Strait Islander artist. His entry in this year’s award is named after the star that is visible in the early morning sky for about two weeks during August and September. Its presence tells the Torres Strait Islanders that it is the time to harvest the wild yams, kutai, gabau and saurr.

The $4,000 Wandjuk Marika Three-Dimensional Memorial Award, sponsored by Telstra, was awarded to Yolgnu artist Nyapanyapa Yunupingu from Yirrkala in the Northern Territory, for her work Incident at Mutpi (1975). This installation consists of a bark painting and the artist’s narrative of the event Gatapangawuy Dhawu – Buffalo Story filmed by The Mulka Project. The bark painting and accompanying film are based on an incident from the 1970’s when Nyapanyapa was badly gored by a buffalo.

26th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award's (NATSIAA)

Exhibition dates: Friday 14 August - Sunday 25 October 2009
Opening: 6pm Friday 14 August 2009

Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory
Conacher Street, Fannie Bay, Darwin

NATSIAA Background

The Award was established in 1984 as the National Aboriginal Art Award by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The aim of the Award is to recognise the important contribution made by Indigenous artists and to promote appreciation and understanding of the quality and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from regional and urban based Indigenous artists throughout Australia, working in traditional and contemporary media. The Award is an important showcase for both established and emerging artists and has come to be regarded as one of the premier national events in the Australian Indigenous art calendar.

The Award attracts a range of Indigenous artists from all parts of the country and about 100 works are selected each year from around 300 entries. The diversity and style of work submitted each year reflects the changing face of contemporary Aboriginal art practice.

Telstra has sponsored the Award since 1992 and has continued to further enhance its profile and prestige. In 2000, Telstra doubled the First Prize money from $20,000 to $40,000 and in 2005 Telstra announced its ongoing support for the Award amounting to a total of over $1 million in sponsorship over the next five years.

In 2006, the Telstra First Prize was re-named the Telstra Award and all prizes became non-acquisitive.

The four categories in which prizes are awarded are:

* the Telstra General Painting Award
* the Telstra Bark Painting Award
* the Telstra Work on Paper Award
* the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (sponsored by Telstra)

Stay tuned for more information on the awards as we get closer to the opening.