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Front Cover: Robyn Mungulu (Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre), Namarali & Jarlarloyn (Wororra god & his wife), 2015, acrylic on canvas, 45 x 70cm. Current Page: Revealed exhibition opening, 2016. Photo by Jessica Wyld
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In the Revealed exhibition more than 60 of the best new and emerging Aboriginal artists from all over the state demonstrate the vitality and diversity of contemporary WA Aboriginal art. Artists from 23 art centres were selected by a panel of industry experts and this enticing, sometimes surprising exhibition features paintings, prints, wood carvings, photography, textiles, video and weaving.
Government of Western Australia Department of Culture and the Arts
REVEALED 2016 | FREMANTLE ARTS CENTRE | 5 1. As We Are Greg Barr Vicki-Lee Devenish Brooke Mathew 2. DADAA Louise Indich Amanda White 3. Laverton Leonora Cross Cultural Association Tegan Dodd 4. Mangkaja Arts Isaac Cherel Billy Chestnut Illiam Nargoodah Mervyn Street 5. Marnin Studio Di Chungall Marlene Goodjie April Jones Amanda Smith Daisy Smith June Smith Michelle Spinks Francine Steele Phyllis Waye Wendy Waye Nita Williams Deb Yaddah 6. Martumili Artists Miriam Atkins Carol Williams Corban Clause Williams 7. Maruku Arts and Crafts Cynthia Burke Narelle Holland Robert Woods 8. Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre Petrina Bedford Marylou Divilli Robyn Mungulu 9. Nagula Jarndu Gabby Baxter Cecilia Howard Rowena Morgan Melanie Noble
10. Papulankutja Artists Pamela Hogan Nekiesha Mitchell
22. Yamaji Art Victoria Jones Jacinta Maher
11. Roebourne Art Group Gavin Snook
23. Yarliyil Art Centre Janet Dreamer Johnathon Johnson
12. Spinifex Arts Project Tim Hogan Lois Pennington
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13. Spinifex Hill Artists Kelvin Allen Teddy Byrne Beryl Ponce
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14. Tjanpi Desert Weavers Ann Cleary Farrell Rochelle Ferguson Teegan Tyson-Hayes
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15. Tjarlirli Art Nola Bennett Bonnie Connelly Andrea Giles
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16. Tjukurba Art Gallery Regina Ashwin 17. Warakurna and Kayili Artists Nola Campbell Kristabell Porter Cecily Yates
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18. Waringarri Aboriginal Arts Bryan Murielle Margaret Peurmora 19. Warlayirti Artists Gemma Galova Larry Gundora Dulcie Nanala 20. Warmun Art Centre Lorraine Daylight Nancy Daylight Desma Juli 21. Wirnda Barna Artists Phyllis Simpson
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REVEALED: IDENTITY, CULTURE, COUNTRY AND CREATIVITY IN THE HERE AND NOW Revealed, exhibited at Fremantle Art Centre for the first time in 2016, is an exhibition of works of art, cultural artefacts and installation experiences from art centres across Aboriginal Western Australia. These important creative and cultural hubs sit upon the vast and expansive lands of what we now call Western Australia, lands which have always been the cultural territories of Aboriginal peoples. Just as these lands are diverse, so too are the cultures and identities of those who live upon them. This is central to what we see in Revealed with a diversity of modes of cultural expression showcased in the exhibition. Revealed, as in previous years, is celebratory, challenging, political, critical, dynamic and divergent. The works of art and cultural objects on display are however, much more than cultural commodities; they are extensions of the lands and peoples from which they herald, they are declarations of knowledge, culture, lived experience and assertions of connection to, attachment with, and love for Country. Some of the works within the exhibition are physical embodiments of ancestral Dreaming voyages, stretching across great expanses of time and space, for each of us to experience in the here and now. Equally, alternate Aboriginal voices emerge from within the works on display; new ways of presenting culture and identity, which arise from fresh understandings of selfhood within the context of the modern world.
When moving through the Revealed exhibition and encountering these narratives about identity, place, culture and Country, we must think about the moments in which the works and objects were made; and how they have transitioned from temporal, intellectual, cultural and spiritual spaces into the physical world through the conduit of an individual. These moments of making where an artist, in whichever mode they create, connects with their ancestors, are often central to Aboriginal artistic practices. Energy, dynamism, knowledge, power, and the revealing of immense topographical, geological, botanical, cosmological, ecological, cultural and spiritual knowledge emerge from many of these works, and reflect the traditional pedagogies of Aboriginal society. Some works reflect the active and intimate relationships to ancestors while others deviate into new territory and, while these too are informed through Aboriginal ways of knowing and being they have a different cultural functionality and resonance. Revealed, as a showcase of Aboriginal art from across the state, also presents a number of cultural reinterpretations, revitalisations and diversions. Challenging notions of the ‘traditional’ Aboriginal artist, Revealed has become a place in which new cultural expressions are showcased alongside familiar modalities of Aboriginal art making such as carving,
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The works of art and cultural objects on display are however, much more than cultural commodities; they are extensions of the lands and peoples from which they herald, they are declarations of knowledge, culture, lived experience and assertions of connection to, attachment with, and love for Country.
painting and weaving. Artists working in other media, such as photography, printmaking, drawing, installation and textile production sit comfortably in the exhibition, their work affirming the reinvention and continued diversification of Aboriginal art. Furthermore, these new works foreground the continued cultural practice, reinvention, diversification and modernisation vital to cultural continuity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a rapidly changing world. Revealed is however, much more than an exhibition. It is a cultural and professional development program for emerging Aboriginal curators and arts workers; a series of cultural celebrations connecting diverse communities; and also a marketplace, which has broken art centres sales records, and seen an impressive number of acquisitions from the Revealed exhibition. In its’ relatively short history, the Revealed initiative has brought together art centres from across the state and provided a platform in which people can share their cultures, identities and Country with each other. Importantly, it has also provided art centres with new markets, new opportunities for collaboration and enabled the development of new Aboriginal cultural networks. In combination, Revealed encourages a sharing of challenges, hopes and aspirations in a way that ensures a healthy, culturally safe and sustainable future for Aboriginal art
centres across Country, and in doing so, creates important dialogues and opportunities for our broader communities to develop insight into, and greater understanding of the ways Aboriginal peoples experience and represent their lives, cultures, realities and histories. Glenn Iseger-Pilkington (WA) of the Nhanda, Wadjarri and Nyoongar Peoples and Dutch and Scottish Ancestry; Revealed Exhibition Selection Panellist 2016; Curator, Content Development, New Museum Project, Western Australian Museum; Cultural Worker
Revealed exhibition, 2016. Photo by Bo Wong
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LIST OF WORKS AS WE ARE
DADAA
Greg Barr
Louise Indich
Maltesers, 2012 Acrylic on canvas 100 x 78cm
Australian Bushland (triptych), 2015 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 153cm
Untitled, 2015 Acrylic and posca on canvas 89 x 60cm
Amanda White
Untitled, 2015 Acrylic and posca on canvas 91 x 60cm
Vicki-Lee Devenish Diva, 2011 Pencil on paper 31 x 22cm Marilyn Monroe, 2011 Pencil on paper 31 x 22cm Nightclub Dancing, 2015 Riso print and pencil on paper 25 x 37cm Skeletons, 2016 Riso print, watercolour on paper 15 x 10cm
Brooke Mathew Evening Bottlebrushes, 2015 Watercolour on paper 48 x 60cm Irises in the Sun, 2015 Watercolour on paper 75 x 54cm
Dreaming of Lost People, 2015 Watercolour and texta on canvas 80 x 40cm The Little People, 2015 Acrylic and texta on canvas 75 x 51cm
LAVERTON LEONORA CROSS CULTURAL ASSOCIATION Tegan Dodd Seven sisters, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 103cm
MANGKAJA ARTS
MARNIN STUDIO
Isaac Cherel
Di Chungall
Garringari, 2016 Acrylic on board 38 x 60cm
Gum nuts necklace, 2016 Gum nuts
Garringari, 2016 Acrylic on board 38 x 38cm
Bush toy – goanna, 2016 Wool
Barndi, 2016 Acrylic on board 38.5 x 40cm
Billy Chestnut Jirrinkin and Dungow, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 90 x 90cm
Illiam Nargoodah Knives 1 – 5, 2016 Materials and dimensions variable
Mervyn Street Bull ride (triptych), 2015/16 Acrylic on canvas 240 x 120cm Bull Ride (yellow), 2016 Acrylic on plywood, live artwork 100 x 120cm
Marlene Goodjie
April Jones Cotton scarves, 2016 Prints and dimensions variable Dresses, 2016 Prints, materials and dimensions variable Wool bush toys, 2016 Prints and dimensions variable
Amanda Smith Cotton scarf, 2016 Dyed 180 x 50cm Kaftan, 2016 Silk Silk scarves, 2016 Dyes and dimensions variable
Daisy Smith Necklace, 2016 Red and yellow seeds
June Smith Cotton Scarf, 2016 Dyed 180 x 50cm Necklaces, 2016 Bloodwood nuts and seeds
June Smith and Phyllis Waye Bush toy – barramundi, 2016 Wool
Michelle Spinks Bush toy – goanna, 2016 Wool
Francine Steele Necklace, 2016 Bloodwood nuts Wool and grass basket, 2016 Wool and grass
Phyllis Waye Basket, 2016 Wool and grass
Wool scarf, 2016 Dyed 180 x 50cm
Wendy Waye
Amanda Smith and April Jones
Necklaces, 2016 Materials and dimensions variable
Cotton scarves, 2016 Dyes and dimensions variable
Desert Nuts, 2016 Dimensions variable
Nita Williams
Silk scarves, 2016 Dyes and dimensions variable
Basket, 2016 Wool and grass
Amanda Smith and June Smith
Coolamon, 2016 Wool and grass
Silk scarves stitched together, 2016 Silk and dye
Deb Yaddah Basket, 2016 Wool and grass
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MARTUMILI ARTISTS Miriam Atkins Minyi Puru, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 154 x 125cm Mapartu, Putijarra Country, 2016 Gouache on paper 101.5 x 65.5cm
Carol Williams Untitled, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 46 x 91cm Kartarru, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 91 x 122cm
Corban Clause Williams Untitled (Big Dam and Little Dam, Parnpajinya area), 2015 Acrylic on canvas 91 x 61cm Untitled (Big Dam and Little Dam, Parnpajinya area), 2016 Acrylic on canvas 91 x 91cm
MARUKU ARTS AND CRAFTS MOWANJUM ABORIGINAL ART AND CULTURAL CENTRE Cynthia Burke Ngintaka (Perentie Lizard) 1 – 3, 2016 Desert wood Tinka (Sand goanna) 1 – 2, 2016 Desert wood Tjulpu (Bird) 1 – 8, 2016 Desert wood
Narelle Holland
Petrina Bedford Boabnut Carvings, 2015 Dimensions variable
Marylou Divilli Living Culture, 2016 Ilford Pearl photographic paper 55 x 36cm
Kanilpa – Winnowing Bowl 1 – 7, 2016 Itara (river red gum) Dimensions variable
Noah, 2016 Ilford Pearl photographic paper 55 x 36cm
Kanilpa – Winnowing Bowl, 2016 Muur-muurpa (desert bloodwood) 64 x 15cm
Robyn Mungulu
Piti – Collecting Bowl 1 – 2, 2016 Itara (river red gum) Dimensions variable
Robert Woods Miru – Spear Thrower 1 – 14, 2016 Mulga wood, spinifex resin, quartzite, sinew Dimensions variable
Namarali and Jarlarloyn (Wororra god and his wife), 2016 Acrylic on canvas 70 x 45cm Namarali and Jarlarloyn (Wororra god and his wife), 2016 Acrylic on canvas 100 x 50cm Namarali and Jarlarloyn (Wororra god and his wife), 2016 Acrylic on canvas 45 x 70cm
NAGULA JARNDU Gabby Baxter Fabric, 2016 Block print on linen 300 x 140cm
Cecilia Howard Fabric, 2016 Block print on linen 300 x 140cm
Rowena Morgan Fabric, 2016 Block print on linen 500 x 140cm
Melanie Noble Fabric, 2016 Block print on linen 300 x 140cm
PAPULANKUTJA ARTISTS Pamela Hogan Untitled, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 91 x 91cm Untitled, 2016 Hand painted fabric 110 x 400cm
Nekiesha Mitchell Tjitji Kutjara, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 76cm
ROEBOURNE ART GROUP
SPINIFEX HILL ARTISTS
Gavin Snook
Kelvin Allen
The Country then and now, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 228cm
Brolgas, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 61 x 71cm
SPINIFEX ARTS PROJECT Tim Hogan Lake Baker, 2015 Acrylic on linen 110 x 85cm
Lois Pennington Kamanti, 2015 Acrylic on linen 110 x 850cm Wati Kutjara, 2015 Acrylic on linen 200 x 137cm
Gecko, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 71 x 45cm
Teddy Byrne Battle of the Leviathans (white whales are very partial to squid), 2015 Acrylic on canvas 60.5 x 30.5cm Margaret River Mouth, 2015 Acrylic on linen 30.5 x 35.5cm Rock wallaby sitting on its lolly’s Marble Bar, 2015 Acrylic on board 44 x 38.5cm
Beryl Ponce Untitled, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 71 x 61cm Washing Machine, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 71 x 61cm
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TJANPI DESERT WEAVERS
TJARLIRLI ART
Ann Cleary Farrell
Nola Bennett
Birds, 2015 Native grass, raffia, tjanpi (wild grass) Dimensions variable
Irriya Nola, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 51 x 75.5cm
Coolamon, 2015 Native grass, raffia 12 x 35cm
Bonnie Connelly
Mina Mina, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 51 x 102cm
Ngurra Tjalaku, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 75.5 x 101.5cm
Mina Mina, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 76 x 76cm
Andrea Giles
Kristabell Porter
Rochelle Ferguson Birds, 2016 Native grass, raffia, twine Dimensions variable Tjulpa, 2015 Native grass, raffia 93 x 83cm Sculpture/Bird (Tjanpi), 2015 Native grass, raffia 116 x 108cm
Teegan Tyson-Hayes Gathering story mat, 2016 Native grass, raffia 120 x 150cm Women sitting around the fire, 2015 Raffia 56 x 29cm
Minyma Tjukurla, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 75.5 x 75.5cm
TJUKURBA ART GALLERY Regina Ashwin Karku Dreaming, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 41 x 139cm The Last Nomads, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 61 x 122cm
WARAKURNA AND KAYILI ARTISTS Nola Campbell
Ngayuku Ngurra Tjarra, 2016 Mixed media Dimensions variable
Cecily Yates Seven Sisters Dreaming, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 102 x 102cm
WARINGARRI ABORIGINAL ARTS
WARLAYIRTI ARTISTS
WIRNDA BARNA ARTISTS
Bryan Murielle
Gemma Galova
Phyllis Simpson
Catfish and Barramundi 1 – 3, 2015 Painted woollybutt gum Dimensions variable
Mungia, 2015 Acrylic on linen 120 x 80cm
Baskets 1 – 4, 2015 Dimensions variable
Full Tide 1 – 2, 2016 Branded, stained and lacquered woollybutt Dimensions variable
Larry Gundora
King Brown, 2016 Branded, stained and lacquered woollybutt 137 x 8cm
Margaret Peurmora Creation of the Universe, 2015 Natural ochre on paper 57 x 76cm Stolen Generation, 2016 Natural ochre on paper 57 x 76cm Tears and Stress, 2016 Natural ochre on paper 57 x 76cm
Wirramanu, 2015 Acrylic on linen 150 x 75cm Wirramanu, 2015 Acrylic on linen 120 x 80cm
Hub Cap, 2016 Acrylic on hub cap 40 x 40 x 4cm Roses, 2014 Acrylic on canvas 56 x 56cm
Dulcie Nanala
Two Major Mitchells, 2012 Acrylic on canvas 56 x 56cm
Karlyapilyirra, 2015 Acrylic on linen 120 x 80cm
YAMAJI ART
WARMUN ART CENTRE Lorraine Daylight Untitled, 2014 Ochre and pigment on canvas 120 x 90cm Untitled, 2014 Ochre and pigment on canvas 80 x 80cm
Victoria Jones Lime Leaf, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 50 x 60cm
Jacinta Maher Molecules, 2015 Acrylic on canvas 48 x 59cm
Nancy Daylight and Desma Juli
YARLIYIL ART CENTRE
Home, 2016 Video
Janet Dreamer Bushtucker at Old Flora Valley Station, 2016 Acrylic on canvas 120 x 90cm
Jonathon Johnson Purnululu (Bungle Bungles), 2016 Ochre on canvas 100 x 75cm
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Robert Woods (Maruku Arts and Crafts) with his work Miru – Spear Thrower 1 – 14, 2016, mulga wood, spinifex resin, quartzite, sinew, dimensions variable. Photo by Jessica Wyld
Top to Bottom: Corban Clause Williams (Martumili Artists), Untitled (Big Dam and Little Dam, Parnpajinya area), 2016, acrylic on canvas, 91 x 91cm. Corban Clause Williams, Untitled (Big Dam and Little Dam, Parnpajinya area), 2015, acrylic on canvas, 91 x 61cm. Photo by Bo Wong
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Top to Bottom: Robert Woods (Maruku Arts and Crafts), Miru – Spear Thrower 1 – 14, 2016, mulga wood, spinifex resin, quartzite, sinew, dimensions variable. Narelle Holland (Maruku Arts and Crafts), Piti – Collecting Bowl 1 – 2, 2016, itara (river red gum, dimensions variable. Narelle Holland, Kanilpa – Winnowing Bowl 1 – 8, 2016, materials variable, dimensions variable. Photo by Bo Wong
Robyn Mungulu (Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre), Namarali & Jarlarloyn (Wororra god & his wife) 1 – 3, 2016, acrylic on canvas, dimensions variable. Photo by Bo Wong
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Left to Right: Regina Ashwin (Tjukurba Art Gallery), The Last Nomads, 2014, acrylic on canvas, 61 x 122cm. Regina Ashwin, Karku Dreaming, 2015, acrylic on canvas, 41 x 139cm. Greg Barr (As We Are), Maltesers, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 100 x 78cm. Greg Barr, Untitled, 2015, acrylic and posca on canvas, 91 x 60cm. Photos by Bo Wong
Pamela Hogan (Papulankutja Artists) with her work Untitled, 2016, hand painted fabric, 110 x 400cm. Photo by Jessica Wyld
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Mervyn Street (Mangkaja Arts) painting his work Bull Ride (yellow), 2016, acrylic on plywood, live artwork, 100 x 120cm. Photo by Jessica Wyld
Lois Pennington (Spinifex Arts Project) with her work Wati Kutjara, 2015, acrylic on linen, 200 x 137cm. Photo by Jessica Wyld
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Revealed exhibition opening, 2016. Photo by Jessica Wyld
Left to Right: Revealed artists Cecily Yates (Warakurna and Kayili Artists), Kristabell Porter (Warakurna and Kayili Artists), Sonia Williams (Martumili Artists) with Porter’s Ngayuku Ngurra Tjarra, 2016, mixed media, dimensions variable. Photo by Jessica Wyld. Phyllis Simpson (Wirnda Barna Artists), Baskets, 2015, dimensions variable. Photo by Bo Wong
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Ann Cleary Farrell (Tjanpi Desert Weavers), Rochelle Ferguson (Tjanpi Desert Weavers) & Teegan Tyson-Hayes (Tjanpi Desert Weavers), Birds, 2015, materials variable, dimensions variable. Photo by Bo Wong
Phyllis Simpson (Wirnda Barna Artists), Hub Cap, 2016, acrylic on hub cap, 40 x 40 x 4cm. Phyllis Simpson, Baskets 1 – 4, 2015, dimensions variable. Photo by Bo Wong
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Louisa Indich (DADAA), Australian Bushland (triptych), 2015, acrylic on canvas, 161 x 50.5cm. Photo by Bo Wong
Illiam Nargoodah (Mangkaja Arts), Knives 1 – 5, 2016, materials and dimensions variable. Photo by Jessica Wyld
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Clockwise from Left to Right: Gabby Baxter (Nagula Jarndu), Fabric, 2016, block print on linen, 300 x 140cm. Cecilia Howard (Nagula Jarndu), Fabric, 2016, block print on linen, 300 x 140cm. Rowena Morgan (Nagula Jarndu), Fabric, 2016, block print on linen, 500 x 140cm. Melanie Noble (Nagula Jarndu), Fabric, 2016, block print on linen, 300 x 140cm. Photos by Bo Wong
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Tim Hogan (Spinifex Arts Project) with his work Lake Baker, 2015, acrylic on linen, 110 x 85cm. Photo by Jessica Wyld
Current Page: Mervyn Street (Mangkaja Arts) painting at the Revealed exhibition opening. Photo by Jessica Wyld. Back Cover: Billy Chestnut (Mangkaja Arts), Jirrinkin and Dungow, 2016, acrylic on canvas, 90 x 90cm. Photo by Bo Wong
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fremantle Arts Centre would like to give special thanks to the participants in the Revealed Arts Worker Program, Helen Carlton, Corben Williams, Tamisha Williams and Kristabell Porter, who also assisted in installing and curating the 2016 exhibition. FAC also acknowledges Michelle Braun from the Film and Television Institute’s Indigenous Community Stories Project. The addition of six artists’ video biographies to the exhibition was an enriching inclusion. More information about this project is available at facebook.com/IndigenousCommunityStories. The success of the exhibition and Revealed 2016 as a whole would not have been possible without the contributions of all participating artists and art centres. Also thanks to Duncan Ord; Roz Lipscombe; Glenn Iseger-Pilkington; Mervyn Street; Ron Bradfield; Brendan Moore; Tim Acker; Christine Scoggin; and Gabrielle Sullivan. FAC Staff Director General Manager Revealed Coordinator Exhibitions Coordinator Curator Learning Coordinator Events Coordinator Communications Manager Communications Assistant Graphic Designer
Jim Cathcart Marcus Dickson Emilia Galatis Erin Coates Ric Spencer Deb Haslam Andrew Clark Andrea Woods Sam Leung Ash Pederick
Government of Western Australia Department of Culture and the Arts