The new Artists Shed and fire pit!

Many thanks to Rob and Helen Millsteed, Family and Friends for our wonderful new Artist's shed!

Jimmy Donegan - Telstra Award Winner- Congratulations!

Congratulations to Jimmy Donegan! The Telstra award '2010' winner. We were lucky to have Jimmy visit our Art centre today as a celebrity! A special man and family to us in Papulankutja!


Jimmy paints across the border in South Australia for the NINUKU Art Centre ninukuarts.com.au

CONGRATULATIONS NINUKU and JIMMY D.!!!

2010 Festival Pics

Blackstone Festival update

Many thanks to all those helping set up with preparations for the Blackstone Festival!

This year we are focusing on a healthy eating programme with healthy cooking and food events sponsered by Anglo American

and Music Workshops and performance sponsored by the Jimmy Little foundation featuring Shellie Morris

Anglo American is one of the world's largest diversified mining and natural resource groups. "We strive to generate lasting benefits everywhere we operate. Today, our commitments to safety, operational excellence and sustainable development are stronger than ever. These commitments support our ambition to become the leading global mining company." (quote from Website).

The Blackstone, 'Papulankutja Art Centre' hosts the Blackstone Arts festival every year in May. Extended from these arts events which include the yearly visit from the Melting Pot Glass Blowers , we also invite neighbouring community schools and organisations such as Wilurarra Creative from Warburton/ NG Health/ DCP,child protection/ NPY Tjanpi Weavers/ Warburton Shire Youth Workers/ NG Media/ NPYWC Child Nutrition Program/ the community store/mining companies and many more. With this extended collaboration the Festival has now become known as "THE BLACKSTONE FESTIVAL" which incorpoartes all involved for the benifit and enjoyment of the Blackstone Community as well as neighbouring Communities. With Art workshops, health and kids programmes, music, sport events thoughout the week and  to top it off a Friday night music/band night featuring Shellie Morris and the local bands from the surrounding area hosted by NG Media.

The Blackstone Festival is seen as an oportunity to celebrate our community as well as the 'greater community' of the Ngaanyatjarra lands.  and none of this could be achieved without the good will and participation of everyone involved!   CLICK ON THE HIGHLIGHTED LINKS ABOVE FOR WEBSITES!

Blackstone Festival 11-15th May

Blackstone Festival

Blackstone Festival update

We have recently heard that Jimmy Little can not make the May festival due to health reasons.  We will however endeavor to invite him back possibly in September 2010.  We wish Jimmy good health and hope to see him soon! 

Anawari Mitchell

Congratulations to Ananwari Mitchell. Her work has been acquired by The National Gallery of Australia.  A rising star!

Thomas Reid - Seven Sisters

Can you spot the air con?!?!

Shade!

New Year From Blackstone

Many thanks to everyone for such a successful Christmas sale.  40% of the proceeds went to the installation of two air conditioner units in our main painting rooms. If we didn’t have the support from happy customers, we would be very hot and bothered right now!

Many thanks to the ever resourceful Ben Fox from 'Wilurarra Creative'  previously known as 'Warburton Youth Arts' http://warburtonyoutharts.blogspot.com/   Thanks to Ben for helping install our shade cloth providing a courtyard painting space.  So far the structure has survived 2 storms and a cyclone!  This space will be receiving a full upgrade including wind breaks and flooring, but for now it is finally a usable working space out of the hot desert sun.

We have many new Galleries dealing with us this year, so all the hard work and promotion has paid off.  Chapman Gallery in Canberra and the Woolloongabba Art Gallery are showing group works in February! And are many more shows planned for the future.  This year will be Blackstone’s year!

Other exciting news is that Jimmy Little – the famous Aboriginal singer/actor – better known to our mob from his staring roll in ‘Return of the Boomerang!’ -  Apparently it was the first movie shown to the Mob in Warburton in the old Mission days! We are planning to have Jimmy attend this years Blackstone Arts festival to sing and play guitar, while supporting the cause of diabetes awareness and education for our kids. We have just begun initial talks and we will hope to lock in a date for May.

Our Artist have shown some incredible progress and this year the demand from galleries has really picked up – the bees knees in demand are shown in the promotional images on this blog and soon to be featured in our new website which should be up and running in the next few weeks. – We sure have a skillfull Mob here!

Chapman Gallery - Exhibition- Feb 2010