Subjects: Indigenous Art in Australia
E&OE..................
PRIME MINISTER:
May I first of all acknowledge the Ngunnawal people, the traditional owners of the land on which this gathering takes place. To Peter King, the Chairman of the Australian Heritage Commission, my ministerial colleagues, Robert Hill, Richard Alston, John Herron and John Moore and Evelyn Scott, the Chairman for the Council for Reconciliation, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
I was delighted when Robert asked me to come along tonight to say a few words and to participate in the awards ceremony. And I have had the opportunity a few moments ago to look at many of the entries to observe the quality, to hear from the artists of the spirit and the motivations that encourage them in their artwork, their painting and the contributions they have made to these awards.
This a very special occasion and it';s an opportunity to showcase to Australia, not just here in Canberra, but in the months ahead as the exhibition goes around to showcase to the entire country, the contributions of so many Indigenous artists. The exhibition very clearly demonstrates how much Indigenous people of all ages value their cultural and their natural heritage. And the aim of the award has been to increase public appreciation of Indigenous heritage places and it';s the only Indigenous Australian art award in which entrants are required to portray a heritage place in their artwork.
I think it';s fair to say that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artist has flourished a great deal over recent years, with many commercial galleries supported by demand for this art and indeed many Indigenous communities have prospered by communicating through their art, the important stories about their lives and their land. And I know for example that we have here tonight some representatives from the Yarrabah community, near Cairns in Queensland and all of the art work created by this particular community tells the story of their land and their life by the sea. And this connection with place and the beauty of the work is quickly gaining a public profile.
A year ago, the government made funding available through the Australia Council for a position of Art Development Officer and since that time the arts movement at Yarrabah has moved towards self sufficiency. The community currently supplies eight retail outlets in Cairns and one retail outlet in Sydney with artwork and demand for the work has resulted in an extra six people being employed at the community. It';s one of the many small but very important good news stories associated with this exhibition and with the Indigenous artists featured here.
Artworks previously exhibited in the Art of Place exhibitions now grace the walls of the National Gallery of Australia, the Queensland Galley, the National Maritime Museum, Flinders University in South Australia and I';m told, some locations even in places as far afield as Switzerland. And these stories will spread even further this year and I am pleased that the Federal Government was able to help with funding to enable a selection of works from this exhibition to tour around the country. And in 2001, our centenary year, it will go to Sydney, Wagga Wagga, Alice Springs, Adelaide and Perth.
I do want to tonight to particularly thank and acknowledge the sponsors who';ve helped make this event possible. Sponsorship this year has reached the record level of more than $280 thousand dollars and I would like to make special mention of the contribution of the Koori Mail, M N Rothschild and Sons and Multiplex, who';ve all provide substantial cash sponsorship to support the award and I also want to recognise the many other sponsors who provided in kind sponsorship. But very particularly, I want to pay tribute to the artists who contributed to the exhibition.
It';s a very positive, enthusiastic gathering tonight. It';s an opportunity for Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians alike to honour the place and the role and the contribution of Indigenous artists, not only to building respect and understanding for Indigenous culture and life and the place of the Indigenous people in our community, but also I think an opportunity for us to celebrate the excellence of Australian artists, Indigenous and non Indigenous.
I congratulate the Heritage Commission, I warmly thank the sponsors and collectively I congratulate in advance the winners of the various categories and thank you very much for inviting me to share this very important occasion with you.
Thank you.
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