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2013 Telstra NATSIAA judging underway
Tiwi Islands artist Timothy Cook was awarded Australia’s most prestigious Indigenous art prize for his insightful painting that demonstrates his strong connection to culture and country, at the 29th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award last year. Mr Cook’s artwork, Kulama ,was selected from a field of 63 finalists and is a 150cm x 220cm painting that uses natural pigments on linen, telling the story of the ceremony for coming of age, the cycle of life – initiation into Tiwi kinship. Mr Cook was born and raised on the Tiwi Islands and started creating paintings, print and carvings in 1999, using the “old designs” he learned from his Elders. Image: Fiona Morrison
Supplied by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 6 August 2013
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ell known Indigenous artist Destiny Deacon and Bruce McLean, Curator of Indigenous Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery, have joined Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) director Pierre Arpin in Darwin this week to commence judging of the 2013 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA). Mr Arpin said judging was completed last week, which allowed enough time for category winners and the overall winner to
be flown to Darwin for the public award ceremony on the MAGNT lawns from 6.30pm on Friday, 9 August. “The 77 finalists are in the running for one of the six NATSIAAs, comprising the major $40,000 Telstra Award and $4,000 individual category prizes including the Telstra General Painting Award; Telstra Bark Painting Award; Telstra Work on Paper Award;Wandjuk Marika Memorial 3D Award (also sponsored by Telstra); and the Telstra New Media Award,” Mr Arpin said. “Emerging vocalists B2M will be performing at Darwin’s Smith Street Mall on Wednesday, 7 August to promote the Award
Ceremony, where they will also be performing. “B2M will be joined at the Award Ceremony by Kimberley Aboriginal Artist Dancers and Gary Lang NT Dance Company, along with fireworks to finish the night.” 2013 marks the 30th edition of the awards and is the 22nd year Telstra has supported the NATSIAA. The Telstra NATSIAA exhibition opens, and award presentations will be made on the lawns at MAGNT, on Friday 9 August 2013, from 6.30pm. Follow the Telstra NATSIAA on Twitter at twitter.com/natsiaa and on Facebook at facebook.com/ telstraartaward.
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