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Jilamara NewsBy Cher Breeze,Arts CoordinatorSales and Goals Achieved!Tiwi Art NetworkBy Brooke Ravens/Angela HillWe are coming up to a very busytime at Jilamara, with exhibitions,workshops and a film crewcoming to Milikapiti to make adocumentary featuring PedroWonaeamirri and Jilamara.Hetti Perkins Senior Curator of Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander Art at the ArtGallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) ismaking a major three-part documentarytitled Art and Soul which focuses onher connections and experiences withcontemporary Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander artists.Pedro has a long-standing friendshipwith Hetti. He has a suite of Pukumanipoles in the AGNSW collection and hasbeen interviewed by her on numerousoccasions for publications.Talking about films, an ABC film crewhave just finished filming here atKarslake. The story is about a manwith ten wives, his love and his life.Many Jilamara artists were involvedas actors. They had a great time andlook forward to seeing the film, whichis scheduled to program on ‘MessageStick’ later this year.Timothy Cook has recently beenaccepted to exhibit in the WesternAustralian Premier’s IndigenousArt Award 2009. This is a nationalart award highlighting the diversityand richness of Indigenous art fromacross the country. The main awardof $50,000 is the largest cash prizeof Indigenous art awards in Australia.Everyone at Jilamara wishes Timothy thebest of luck.The annual Footy Art Sale is hailedas the biggest event on the Tiwicalendar, and this year was noexception. It was held on Sunday22 nd March 2009, and coincidedwith the Tiwi Footy Grand Final.Once a year these strangebedfellows come together in amuch-anticipated celebration ofthe magical talent that is the Tiwi!Despite the wets’ intense heat, themood was jubilant as the determinedfootballers took to the field while earlierin the day local artists prepared thedisplays of work under the tin roof ofTiwi Design Aboriginal Corporation. Ina frenetic buying spree, sweaty shoppers– ranging from seasoned indigenous artcritics to eager first timers – immersedthemselves in the colour and designs.Hundreds of prints, paintings, carvings,fabrics, baskets and ceramics were onsale, showcasing the diverse talent andcreativity of the artists from the island’sthree art centres. The day was a greatsuccess and it was fantastic to see somany Territorians make the effort totravel to Nguiu and catch a glimpse ofTiwi life and culture.I would like to take this opportunity tofarewell Michelle Newton and QuentinSprague, who have been the ArtCentre Manager and Coordinatorrespectively at Jilamara Arts and CraftAssociation for the last two years.We would also like to welcome to therole Barry Hayes and Cher Breezefrom Grafton, New South Wales.Congratulations to you both andwelcome to life on the Tiwi Islands. Itis great to have a couple that bringa wealth of experience and positiveenthusiasm to the position.The Tiwi Art Network Gallery in Parapwill begin its dry season exhibitionprogram with an installation of TiwiDesigned tungas (bark baskets) titledMalapinyina. Lorraine Babui said,‘In the olden days bark baskets werepainted for Pukamani ceremony. Thedots represent people, we call thempwanga. The crosshatching representsthe scarring done for Kulamaceremony. The straight lines representthe body painting done for ceremony– we call them malapinyina. Mygrandmother taught me how to painttungas. I hope to teach my children sothey can carry on our Tiwi culture.’Below: Displays of work under the tin roofof Tiwi Design Aboriginal Corporation at theAnnual Footy Art Sale. Photos: Pamela Mills.Right: Painting by Timothy Cook ‘Kulama’ ochreon canvas, 2008, entered into the WesternAustralian Premier’s Indigenous Art Award 2009.Photo: Courtesy Jilamara Arts/Seva Frangos.18 Arts Backbone – News Volume 9: Issue 1 June/July 2009