Projects & partnerships

Our projects and partnerships include a longstanding gallery partnership, the regular presentation of fundraising exhibitions for Indigenous health and wellbeing in partnership with educational and other organisations and initiating a nation-wide Indigenous contemporary jewellery project. Since 2009 we have presented two exhibitions annually with Salt Contemporary Art based in Queenscliff, Vic. and have also worked with other leading galleries to include the work of artists they represent in special exhibitions. These galleries have included Australian Galleries, Gallery Smith, Jacob Hoerner Galleries, Salt Contemporary and Sullivan & Strumpf.

FUNDRAISING FOR INDIGENOUS HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELLBEING

Since 2012, as part of our annual exhibition program, we have created and presented exhibitions and other events in conjunction with partner organisations to raise funds for educational entities and Indigenous health, education, environment and community wellbeing programs. A percentage of sales from our commission is donated to the cause for which we are raising funds. We do not ask the artists or art centres with whom we work to donate works or reduce their normal returns on sales for works sold in these exhibitions. A number of these exhibitions have been launched by our unique Art Parades in which a wide variety of Aboriginal artworks are presented and accompanied by informative commentary. Our exhibition partners for fundraising activities have included DMCPR Media, Red Hill Consolidated School, Methodist Ladies' College, Woodleigh School, Student Committee for Indigenous Affairs, Xavier College and Peninsula Hot Springs.

Organisations we have raised funds for include the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Purple House, Elizabeth Morgan House Aboriginal Women’s Service, Woodleigh School Indigenous Program, Red Hill Consolidated School, Aboriginal-owned not-for-profit art centres Tjungu Palya and Baluk Arts as well as for flood, bushfire and Covid-affected Aboriginal communities. We also regularly participate in and assist in promoting art fundraisers for environmental issues in our home region of the Mornington Peninsula, Vic.

The Indigenous Jewellery Project (IJP) is the first nation-wide Indigenous Australian contemporary jewellery project, working with Indigenous jewellers at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned art centres across Australia, comprising research, workshops, photography, films, and exhibitions.

IJP was created by curator Emily McCulloch Childs who has partnered with artists and contemporary jewellers Kate Rohde (Pieces of Eight) and Melinda Young (Pieces of Eight, UNSW). IJP has initiated projects comprising of workshops and exhibitions with Aboriginal owned art centres Erub Erwer Meta (Torres Strait Islands), Ernabella Arts (APY Lands), Ikuntji Artists (Haasts Bluff, NT), Buku-Larrnggay Mulka (Yirrkala, NT), Gab Titui (Torres Strait Islands), Kemarre Arts (ACT) and Aboriginal community groups including Dhariwaa Elders Group (Walgett, NSW) and Jaanymili Bawrrungga Inc. (Bowraville, NSW).

Projects have been exhibited nationally including at the JamFactory (TARNANTHI), NGV Design Store, National Contemporary Jewellery Award (Griffith Regional Gallery & Sturt Centre for Design), Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre, Australian Design Centre, Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, artisan, Stanley Street Galleries, City of Perth, Artitja Fine Art, Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory), Radiant Pavilion Melbourne Jewellery & Object Biennial, Parcours Bijoux (Paris), Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition (Toowoomba Regional Gallery), Peninsula Hot Springs, Flinders University City Gallery store, and Everywhen Artspace.

IJP has partnered with Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre & ANU School of Art & Design Object & Metal Studio to deliver several professional contemporary jewellery workshops and create the first artist-in-residence for an Indigenous contemporary jeweller at an Australian university.

Works from IJP projects have been collected by major public galleries including the Maritime Museum, Toowoomba Regional Gallery and the National Gallery of Australia, and the project has been documented in Garland, the magazine of the World Crafts Council and featured on ABC TV, Canberra, and in Crucible, for Current Obsession magazine for Munich Jewellery Week.

To date IJP has worked with around 150 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander jewellers from all across Australia.

IJP has been supported by the Australia Council, Australian Government Indigenous Languages & Arts Program, Santos, Creative Partnerships Australia, Craft ACT: Craft & Design Centre, Australian Design Centre and Create NSW.

Kayannie Denigan

Luritja artist Kayannie Denigan, Ngathu Bubu, bronze, silver. Craft ACT, Kemarre Arts & The Indigenous Jewellery Project at ANU School of Art & Design Jewellery & Object Studio. Exhibited Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition, Toowoomba Regional Gallery. Acquired Toowoomba Regional Gallery.. Image Brenton McGeachie