OUR FAMILY
In 2005 we held a series of Professional Development workshops with Simon Turner of the Woolloongabba Art Gallery to develop our body paint designs onto canvas. In the previous two years we had slowly rebuilt our reputation as wholesalers of high quality authentic handcraft. We had always been noted for our unique story paintings but they were never sort after by the mainstream indigenous art market. It had always been the plan to develop the centre as a community facility available for use by members of the community wanting to experience visual art and craft activities.
It is this family outlook that I have tried to encourage as we have grown. When Simon visited for the workshops this was further emphasised as the group grew larger and more artists joined our family. Discussions were held on how important it was to work together as a group to achieve their individual goals and how they could help each other, inspire each other and join in each other's successes.
Our family has grown quickly and in the last 2 months we have had others join. The Aged Person's Hostel (APH) now brings some of their residents for painting 2 days per week. One of these residents and newest family member is Lindsay Roughsey, older brother to the late Dick Roughsey and an accomplished artist in his own right. His first visit to the art centre he was confined to a wheelchair was unable to communicate or put brush to canvas.
After two visits he was sitting upright painting with assistance. After three visits he was painting unassisted. In May 2005 there was a knock at the backdoor. I opened it and in walked Lindsay Roughsey he sat down asked me for his canvas and paints and proceeded to get back to work. When he is here painting our senior artists, old men in their own right behave like they are school kids again laughing and joking with him dancing and showing so much joy in seeing him with them painting.
This is the family I refer too at our art centre. Painting unites them, painting strengthens them and gives them purpose. Painting is how they communicate their pride and knowledge of their culture and how they will hand this knowledge onto the next generation.
Another new family member from the APH is Sally Gabori. She has spent her whole life weaving and making grass string and rope and making craft such as dilly bags and fishnets. As a young woman she repaired and maintained the fish traps on her homeland at Bentinck Island.
On Sally's second visit to our art centre she tried painting. From there she has quickly blossomed into an artist who loves to paint about country, fish, the fish traps she worked to maintain and the story places of her homeland.
Our third family member from the APH is Jonathon Toby. Jonathon suffered a very serious accident as a young man and almost lost his life. He was left unable to care for himself and has spent most of the last 20 years in Charters Towers growing up painting the stories of Mornington Island and visiting now and then to stay in touch with family.
Jonathon has recently returned to live on the island full time and now paints with us at the Art Centre. It is wonderful to have him around as he always has a smile on his face and loves to paint and be part of our family.
The MIAAC artgang is more than group of artists, it's a contemporary family that is growing and teaching our community by example, that using our cultural strengths and traditions, we can navigate a path and direction for our communities future.
Brett Evans
Art Centre Coordinator
Joseph & Brett