National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award
The winners of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) will be announced at a public event as the Awards celebrate 35 years.
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) curator of Aboriginal Art Luke Scholes says the more than 300 entries this year show a wide breadth of artwork from around the country.
“This year’s Awards have attracted entries of an extraordinary artistic calibre, from diverse geographic regions, highlighting the continuing growth of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts sector,” he says.
The awards ceremony, held on the lawns of MAGNT, will feature entertainment from Baker Boy, Emily Wurramara, the NT Dance Company and Mau Power. There will also be a full weekend of public programs at MAGNT.
Now in its 35th year, the Telstra NATSIAA is the most prestigious and longest running award recognising the work of Indigenous artists.
This year, 67 pieces were selected as finalists with work representing stories from every state and territory.
In 2017, two new awards were added – the Telstra Multimedia Award and the Telstra Emerging Artist Award – tapping into the next generation of artists.
This year, the number of entrants in these categories has grown, reflecting new talent and opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with 17 multimedia entries and 107 emerging artist entries; of these, seven are multimedia finalists and 12 are emerging artist finalists.
MAGNT Director Marcus Schutenko says the Awards are an important part of the museum’s program each year.
“Telstra NATSIAA provides a platform for Indigenous artists to voice the views of the broader Indigenous community and contribute to the political, social and cultural dialogue in Australia.”
Presiding over this year’s Awards, as the Telstra NATSIAA judging panel, will be artist Daniel Boyd; Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne, Kelly Gellatly; and artist Judith Inkamala, senior member of the Hermannsburg Potters.
Fri 10 Aug – Sun 11 Nov | Opening Fri 10 Aug, 6pm | Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory | See the event listing
Thumbnail: Nyarapayi Giles, 'Warmurrungu' (detail), synthetic polymer paint on linen; 34th Telstra NATSIAA
Header: Tiger Yaltangki, 'Malpa Wiru (Good friends)' (detail), synthetic polymer paint on linen; 34th Telstra NATSIAA
