Sovereignty was never ceded: Protest, resistance and resilience with proppaNOW

proppaNOW art collective

Sovereignty was never ceded: Protest, resistance and resilience with proppaNOW

“…I made a point that if I do a work of art, a picture, a painting, or whatever it is, and I look at it and it makes me feel less than what I actually am, then that work will never leave the studio, or I would never, ever do that work.” – Gordon Hookey, 2023

‘What does it mean to be a contemporary urban Aboriginal artist in Australia today? What changes have art institutions made in the past 20 years relating to Indigenous art and culture? And how do you start a collective? These are just some of the questions and issues yarned about during a lively discussion at the National Art School (NAS) in Sydney with members of the proppaNOW artist collective, which formed in Brisbane in 2003.

NAS is currently showing OCCURRENT AFFAIR, which features proppaNOW artists Vernon Ah Kee, Tony Albert, Richard Bell, Megan Cope, Jennifer Herd, Gordon Hookey and Laurie Nilsen.

Albert, Cope and Hookey, alongside new proppaNOW members Lily Eather and Warraba Weatherall, gathered to talk about the collective, institutional exhibiting, and speaking truth to power.

Dr Stephen Gilchrist from the University of Western Australia chairs the warm yet honest conversation, and began by acknowledging the panel took place on Gadigal land, and paying respects to ancestors of the past, present and future.’

INTERVIEW with proppaNOW on Art Guide Australia

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Calling all parents of budding artists, enrolment for Art Club Term 4 is open!

Art Club provides an opportunity for young artists to grow their technical, conceptual, and intellectual skills, helping them further their studies in the creative field. Each program will be guided by one of our lecturers, all of whom are successful practicing artists. There are different disciplines that students can specialize in, from sculpture to painting.

Visit the link in bio to learn more.

Oct 3

Calling all parents of budding artists, enrolment for Art Club Term 4 is open! Art Club provides an opportunity for young artists to grow their technical, conceptual, and intellectual skills, helping them further their studies in the creative field. Each program will be guided by one of our lecturers, all of whom are successful practicing artists. There are different disciplines that students can specialize in, from sculpture to painting. Visit the link in bio to learn more.

Spend your weekend at ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, a major survey exhibition of Anne Zahalka, one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists.

A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way.

Plan your visit at the link in bio.

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Anne Zahalka, The Sunbather #1, 1989, from the series Bondi: playground of the Pacific chromogenic print, 49 x 49 cm, Courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.

Oct 2

Spend your weekend at ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, a major survey exhibition of Anne Zahalka, one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists. A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way. Plan your visit at the link in bio. _ Anne Zahalka, The Sunbather #1, 1989, from the series Bondi: playground of the Pacific chromogenic print, 49 x 49 cm, Courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.

“I love the magic of watching a photo develop, but I also loved the idea of paintings by the great masters. I found myself being drawn to the art canon and then finding my own visual language to place it in a contemporary setting.” - Anne Zahalka

Read more about Anne Zahalka and her major survey exhibition ZAHALKAWORLD – an artist’s archive in The Sydney Morning Herald’s profile at the link in bio.

A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way.
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Anne Zahalka, The Cook (Michael Schmidt/architect, cook) 1987, from the series Resemblance, silver dye bleach print 80 x 80 cm, Museum of Australian Photography, City of Monash, Collection acquired with the assistance of The Robert Salzer Foundation 2019. Images courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.

Sep 28

Enrol in a Term 4 Short Course Today!

With online and on-campus courses available in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, you`ll learn from Australia`s leading art educators.

Our short courses are designed for students of all levels of experience, from beginners to intermediate and advanced levels.

Take your practice to the next level with NAS, learn more at the link in bio.

Sep 28

Enrol in a Term 4 Short Course Today! With online and on-campus courses available in drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture, you'll learn from Australia's leading art educators. Our short courses are designed for students of all levels of experience, from beginners to intermediate and advanced levels. Take your practice to the next level with NAS, learn more at the link in bio.

We’re Hiring!

Academic Administrator - Application Deadline Sunday 29 September

The Academic Administrative Assistant plays a crucial support role within the National Art School (NAS), providing administrative assistance for academic affairs and executive support to key leadership positions. This role works closely with the Academic Leadership Team to ensure efficient operations and support for NAS’s academic functions. This role is a six month fixed term contract, four days per week.

Learning Designer - Application Deadline Sunday 29 September

The Learning Designer is a crucial role within the National Art School (NAS), supporting the Head of Learning and Teaching in curriculum development and program reaccreditation. This position is responsible for managing the current learning portal and overseeing the transition to a new SharePoint/LMS system, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, student-centric online learning experiences.

Visit the link in bio to learn more.

Sep 27

We’re Hiring! Academic Administrator - Application Deadline Sunday 29 September The Academic Administrative Assistant plays a crucial support role within the National Art School (NAS), providing administrative assistance for academic affairs and executive support to key leadership positions. This role works closely with the Academic Leadership Team to ensure efficient operations and support for NAS’s academic functions. This role is a six month fixed term contract, four days per week. Learning Designer - Application Deadline Sunday 29 September The Learning Designer is a crucial role within the National Art School (NAS), supporting the Head of Learning and Teaching in curriculum development and program reaccreditation. This position is responsible for managing the current learning portal and overseeing the transition to a new SharePoint/LMS system, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, student-centric online learning experiences. Visit the link in bio to learn more.

Weekend plans? Discover ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, a major survey exhibition of Anne Zahalka, one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists.

A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way.

Plan your visit at the link in bio.

_

Anne Zahalka, Exotic birds, 2017, from the series Wild Life 2006–17, chromogenic print, 80 x 80 cm. Courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.

Sep 27

Weekend plans? Discover ZAHALKAWORLD: an artist’s archive, a major survey exhibition of Anne Zahalka, one of Australia’s most highly regarded photo-media artists. A Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) touring exhibition in a new way. Plan your visit at the link in bio. _ Anne Zahalka, Exotic birds, 2017, from the series Wild Life 2006–17, chromogenic print, 80 x 80 cm. Courtesy of the artist, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne and Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney.