Head over to Docklands, and check out the newly opened APY Gallery. Created by the APY Art Centre Collective (APYACC), this is a First Nations artist-owned gallery, that will offer early career First Nations artists from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) region, Coober Pedy and Adelaide, the opportunity to exhibit in Melbourne. The gallery launched last week, just before NAIDOC week, and is now ready for you to visit.
APY Gallery
This new gallery in Melbourne follows the success of the APY Galleries in both Sydney and Adelaide. It was created by the APYACC, a group of eleven Indigenous owned and governed social enterprises. They work together on strategic business initiatives and collaborative art endeavours, in order to increase capacity for South Australian Art Centres, and support their work in remote and regional communities.
“Owning and driving our gallery businesses in the cities means an increase in income and jobs on the ground in our communities,” said Nyunmiti Burton, Director of APY Art Centre Collective. “Economic empowerment is what we talk about; we are determined to leave our young people with a better future. Our art making has always been culturally powerful, we are proud that we have a business that matches our paintings in power and strength.”
The APY Gallery supports and champions emerging artists from APY lands, which is located in remote Central Australia, at the far, northern tip of South Australia. Melbourne is a buzzing cultural hub, and the gallery will provide valuable exposure for these rising artists. Art lovers from around the city can visit the gallery, engage with the artists, and purchase their work with confidence, knowing that the artwork is ethically sourced.
The inaugural exhibition, Mapakani – Momentum, is currently showing until August.