Warrick Miller Japangardi and Graham Beasley of Arlpwe Art Centre. Photo by Devris Hasan, Desart

Art Centres On Screen 2022

 Seven days of short films from Desert Mob

Be transported by the stories, powerful projects, and everyday lives of these featured artists and art centres, providing a glimpse into the diversity of Aboriginal storytelling and contemporary artistic practice across our regions.

Utopia Art Centre | Audrey, Ruby and Lucky Morton Kngwarreye | Alparra NT

“Utopia. We call it Urapuntja. Alyawarr and Anmatyerr people we’re living side by side on our Homelands. This is our country. These are our stories, our histories, our knowledge. This is our art centre.”  Join Audrey, Ruby and Lucky Morton Kngwarreye as they tell you a story of Tyape (Witchetty Grub)

Putikutu Ananyi: Bush Trip – Milpa Collective | Spinifex Arts Project | Tjuntjuntjara WA

Putikutu Ananyi: Bush Trip is a stop-motion film made by a group of First Nations Spinifex Artists from the Tjuntjuntjara community situated in the Great Victoria Desert region of Western Australia. This is a story about families going out, getting mai (bush tucker), being on Country with family, and learning from old people. This story was conceived by Kendrea Hogan and contributed and fabricated by a production crew of over 10 young artists. Young artists at Milpa in their 20s and 30s make movies like Bush Trip to show kids a good way to be. Produced by the Milpa Collective.

Milpa Movie – Milpa Collective | Spinifex Arts Project | Tjuntjuntjara WA

Let’s go hunting with the creative filmmakers and artists of the Milpa Collective. The movie is part of a project called Milpa which in Pitjantjatjara means drawing stories in the sand with wire. Produced by the Milpa Collective.

Nyinuta Nora Abbott | Tangentyere Artists | Mparntwe NT

In the 1920s Lewis Harold Bell Lasseter gained fame, but not fortune when he claimed to have found a rich gold reef, in Central Australia. Known as Lasseter’s Reef his adventures and eventual demise have been well documented. In this story, Nyinuta Nora Abbott tells the Lassetter story from an Anangu perspective as told to her by her grandfather. Tangentyere Artists is the hub for arts activities across Mparntwe | Alice Springs town camps and one key innovation they have employed is the animation of their artist’s paintings. Produced by Tangentyere Artists.

Doris Thomas | Wedge Tailed Eagle | Tangentyere Artists | Mparntwe NT

In this short animation, Tangentyere artist Doris Thomas’ paintings are bought to life telling the story of the wedge tailed eagle. Tangentyere Artists is the hub for arts activities across Mparntwe | Alice Springs town camps and one key innovation they have employed is the animation of their artist’s paintings. Produced by Tangentyere Artists.

Minyma Kutjara Arts Project Artist | Norma Bryant

Norma Bryant is an artist working at the Minyma Kutjara Art Centre located in Irrunytju | Wingellina in Western Australia. Irrunytju Community sits at the base of an important Women’s Tjukurpa (sacred story), the Minyma Kutjara site, called Ultiju Kapi (Two Hills). Norma is a Traditional Owner and custodian for this story, with her sister Eva Baker. The story was handed down to them by their auntie, Mrs. Cooper. Norma is also a Desart board member. In this video, Norma shares her family history of gathering bush seeds.

Tjarlirli Artists | Faith Butler, Mary Gibson, Simon Butler

Tjarlirli Art represents the artists of both Kaltukatjara (Docker River) in the Northern Territory and Tjukurla in the Ngaanyatjarra lands of Western Australia.  The artwork has strong links with the Papunya Tula movement as families left Kintore and Kiwirrkurra to return to their homelands in the mid-1980s.

In 2021 the artists of Tjukurla took a trip to an important sacred site and this is their story.

Tangentyere Artists | Marjorie Williams, Grace Kemarre Robinson, Joanne Napangardi Wheeler

“Relha ntjaarraka kangkentge urrkaapuma pmara Tangentyere Artists” “The many ladies are proud working together at Tangentyere Artists” Three proud ladies explain their process and the reason they come to work every day at the art centre.

Arlpwe Art & Culture Centre | Warrick Miller Japangardi

Arlpwe Art and Culture Centre sits on Kaytetye Country in Alekarenge (Ali Curung NT), an Aboriginal community about 400km north of Alice Springs.  The Art Centre opened in 2008 and the name “Arlpwe’ (pronounced ahl-boa) was chosen for the Art Centre by Traditional Owners.

Warrick Miller Japangardi is committed to keeping culture strong for his family and this is his story.

Warlukurlangu Artists | Hilda Nakamarra Rogers and Athena Nangala Granites

Warlukurlangu Artists has been producing gloriously coloured Aboriginal art, promoting Indigenous culture, and supporting the remote community of Yuendumu since 1985.

Hear Hilda Nakamarra Rogers and Athena Nangala Granites talk about how important the art centre is for keeping culture strong.

Papunya Tula | Matthew Tjapangati

Traditional Owner and Papunya Tula artist and shareholder, Matthew Tjapangati demonstrates how the old people would gather the seeds and prepare for a meal in the most beautiful of settings near Walungurru | Kintore in the Northern Territory of Australia.