Artworks from school students who participated in an Indigenous arts education program in the New England will go on display at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place in Armidale this weekend.
The Home Program is a regional visual arts program for primary students based on the Art Gallery of NSW education resource Home: Aboriginal art from New South Wales.
The Home program is a collaboration between the Art Gallery of New South Wales, NSW Department of Education’s Arts Unit and Aboriginal communities and regional galleries across NSW. It connects schools to local Aboriginal artists, community, language and culture.
In 2023 the program was realised on Anaiwan country at New England Regional Art Museum, Kamilaroi/Gomeroi country at Tamworth Regional Gallery, Gathang (Worimi and Biripi) country at Manning Regional Art Gallery and Wiradjuri country at Bathurst Regional Art Gallery.
“The year-long program supports students and teachers to understand and appreciate the richness and diversity of Aboriginal art from New South Wales and is currently based at four regional galleries,” said NERAM’s education officer Alexis Rickards.
“This year NERAM has participated in the program for the first time and the annual program has involved a teacher professional development day at both NERAM and the Art Gallery of NSW, language workshops with Newara Aboriginal Corporation, performing arts workshops with Bob Blair at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place and both virtual and face-to-face- artmaking lessons with artists – such as Kamilaroi artist Debbie Taylor Worley.
“The program has involved 157 students from seven public schools in the New England Region.”
Alexis said after a year of busy artmaking, all students will present their artworks to show at an exhibition hosted by the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place in Armidale. The exhibition will run from October 21 to November 5.
“The program has been incredibly successful and given students from regional NSW and in particular the New England opportunities to learn their local Aboriginal language, engage in cultural performing arts activities and understand, appreciate, and create visual arts inspired by the diverse artmaking of Aboriginal artists,” she said.
The opening event will be held at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place from 1.30-3pm this Saturday October 21 and everyone is welcome to attend.
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