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| Waringarri Arts | |
|---|---|
| Name | Waringarri Arts |
| Established | 1980s |
| Location | Kununurra, Western Australia |
| Region | Kimberley |
| Type | Aboriginal art centre |
Waringarri Arts
Waringarri Arts is an Aboriginal art centre based in Kununurra in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia. The centre operates within the cultural context of the Mirima National Park, the Ord River, the Kimberley Land Council, and networks of Aboriginal art centres across Australia such as Papunya Tula Artists, Tiwi Designs, Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre, and Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency. Waringarri Arts engages artists linked to language groups including Miriwoong, Gajirrabeng, Gija, Mudburra, and Walmajarri, and collaborates with institutions like the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, the Australian National University, and the National Museum of Australia.
Waringarri Arts emerged in the late 20th century in response to initiatives by regional organisations such as the Kimberley Land Council, the Aboriginal Development Commission, and partnerships with local bodies including the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley and the Miriwoong Aboriginal Corporation. Early activity linked to missions and stations like Wyndham Mission, Warmun (Turkey Creek), and Fitzroy Crossing intersected with broader movements represented by Papunya Tula, Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, and the Aboriginal Arts Board. Artists from Waringarri participated in national programs administered by the Australia Council for the Arts and gained exposure through touring exhibitions organised by curators from the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Ian Potter Museum of Art, and the South Australian Museum. Over the decades Waringarri worked with advocates and historians such as Florence Warden, Noel Pearson, and staff from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to document traditions including songlines associated with the Ord River Scheme and sites recorded in reports by the Heritage Council of Western Australia.
Waringarri Arts operates as a community-managed centre with structures influenced by models used at centres like Injalak Arts, Warmun Art Centre, Yirrkala organisations, and legal frameworks including the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 precedents and regional native title claims such as those pursued in cases represented by counsel from organisations like the National Native Title Tribunal and legal teams associated with the Northern Land Council. Governance involves boards drawn from local families, corporations such as the Miriwoong Gajerrong Aboriginal Corporation, and partnerships with funding bodies including the Australia Council for the Arts, the Department of Communications and the Arts, and philanthropic partners like the Australia Council for the Arts Major Grants and foundations similar to the Ian Potter Foundation and the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation. Administrative links have been maintained with agencies such as the Kimberley Development Commission and cultural policy units at the Western Australian Museum.
Artists associated with the centre include senior cultural custodians and emerging creators who have worked alongside figures comparable to Queenie McKenzie, Gloria Petyarre, Gordon Bennett, Rover Thomas, Minnie Pwerle, Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri, and younger practitioners engaged with conservationists from the World Heritage Committee process for places like the Purnululu National Park. Community programs link to education providers such as Kununurra District High School, East Kimberley College, and outreach partnerships with universities including University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and University of Sydney for residency projects. Collectives and families connected to language groups—Miriwoong, Gajirrabeng, Gija—engage in cross-centre exchanges with artists from Arnhem Land, Tiwi Islands, and the Pilbara, contributing to regional networks coordinated through bodies like the Indigenous Art Code and the Aboriginal Benefits Foundation.
The practice at the centre encompasses painting on canvas and ochre on bark in traditions related to other movements such as Western Desert art and techniques shared with East Arnhem Land bark painting. Media include printmaking influenced by exchanges with print studios like the Northern Editions and the Studio Arts Centres International, textile design comparable to work at Tiwi Designs, and contemporary sculpture and installation reflecting dialogues with artists associated with the Biennale of Sydney and the Melbourne Festival. Works reference country-specific motifs—songlines, river systems like the Ord River, flora and fauna such as barramundi, and ceremonies recorded in archives held by the National Museum of Australia and the State Library of Western Australia.
Waringarri artists have been included in exhibitions organised by major galleries and museums including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and the British Museum through loans and acquisition programs similar to those of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Touring exhibitions have visited institutions such as the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, the Campbelltown Arts Centre, and international venues that engage with Indigenous art biennales like the Venice Biennale framework. Collections holding works by artists from the region include the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of Western Australia, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and university collections such as the University of Melbourne and the Australian National University.
Waringarri Arts contributes to the cultural preservation of language groups linked to the Ord River catchment and supports economic development initiatives similar to those documented by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in reports on Indigenous enterprises. The centre participates in cultural exchange programs with organisations like the Australia Council for the Arts and advocacy networks such as the Indigenous Art Code to promote ethical practice and market access comparable to pathways established by Papunya Tula Artists and Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Centre. Its role in sustaining ceremonial knowledge, supporting community wellbeing initiatives similar to programs run by the Lowitja Institute, and engaging in policy dialogues with bodies like the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet underscores its significance within national and regional cultural landscapes.