A $250,000 grant from Aboriginal Affairs NSW will support an Aboriginal arts organisation in Coffs Harbour to create economic and employment opportunities for Aboriginal artists while celebrating culture.
The Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance Aboriginal Corporation recently acquired a former bank building in the Coffs Harbour CBD and is working to transform it into an art gallery and retail space to support the region’s thriving Aboriginal arts and culture community.
“We wanted to make some improvements to the gallery space so that it could function as a proper gallery in order to attract artists from the region. We want to create a space for these artists to not only exhibit and display their works and products, but to sell them,” said Rick Gonsalves from Saltwater Freshwater.
The grant will support removal of a suspended ceiling, the installation of LED gallery lighting, renovation of toilets, the creation of an outdoor function space and the employment of an Aboriginal Program Coordinator who will develop an annual program of exhibitions and cultural workshops.
“We have a retail shop where we accept goods on consignment such as clothing, artworks, carvings, natural beauty products and greeting cards.”
“So the development of the gallery has a twofold purpose. One is to have a place where artists and cultural practitioners from within our region can exhibit and benefit from economic and employment opportunities, but also to enable our organisation to generate supplemental income that allows us to be more self-sustainable.”
The project has been funded by a Community and Place – Closing the Gap grant from Aboriginal Affairs NSW.
Young people at Malabugilmah on West Bundjalung Country are benefiting from greater cultural connection and engagement with school, thanks to support from a new Aboriginal-led mentoring program.
Garby Elders Aboriginal Corporation in northern NSW have used a ‘Community and Place Grant’ from Aboriginal Affairs NSW to create artworks for a new Elders tent and vehicle to be used at community events. The artworks share stories about local Gumbaynggirr Culture.
The organiser of a cultural festival on the NSW Mid North Coast has encouraged Aboriginal organisations around the state to take advantage of Aboriginal Affairs NSW Cultural Grants.
