Communities
Community art centres provide vital social and economic benefits.
Most of our artists live in small communities. At the heart of these extremely remote villages are community art centres. Managed by Aboriginal-owned cooperatives, community art centres are a meeting place to share stories, discuss ideas and, of course, to paint.
Painting creates a good source of income for the artists while improving the standard of living in the communities and ensuring that the Jukurrpa or Dreaming stories are passed down to the younger generation. Community art centres also act to protect artists from receiving inadequate payment through undesirable trade, to develop emerging artists, and to work to increase Westerners understanding of this remarkable, ancient culture.
It’s common to see artists painting outdoors in dusty conditions (as they have done in the sand or on tree bark for 1000’s of years) with dogs, dingoes and curious kids sometimes adding their ‘mark’ to the artwork – it’s all part of the unique character of genuine Australian Aboriginal art!
Not only is there plenty of fake, cheaply produced ‘Aboriginal art’ coming out of Asia, there are corrupt dealers paying Indigenous artists significantly less than the paintings’ true value. To guarantee ethical fair trade, all of the paintings we offer come from remote Aboriginal-owned community art centres.
These centres provide Aboriginal Australia with a wide-ranging lifeline. They are an important hub for elders, artists and the younger generation to gather and bond, telling their stories and creating beautiful paintings. They fund cultural events and community initiatives while safeguarding fair payment for the artworks, directly distributing funds that equitably support the artist, their community and their culture.
In remote areas where employment opportunities are scarce, partnering with community art centres provides vital social and economic benefits. Profits not only put food on the table, they help preserve a proud peoples’ heritage. Every painting tells the story of an ancient culture; every purchase is ethical; every purchase supports the community and its future prosperity.