Saturday, April 20, 2024  
 
 
       
Aboriginal People's Gallery
     
   
    Interview with Maureen Watson in 1980  
     
   
       

photo from Kaiyu Bayles
My deadly Gran Maureen Watson and me as a bub in the gallery
     
   
    Aboriginal People's Gallery  

Article from AIM Aboriginal Islanders' Message October 1980
thanks to Elaine Pelot-Syron for digging deep into her vast treasure trove of archival material.

BLACKS OWN ART

GALLERY

  

  Maureen pointed out that it wasn’t easy getting premises for ABORIGINALAND ART GALLERY The agents in the area of Redfern and surrounding areas did give her a few of the old familiar tales of; no place available; no at the moment we don't have a thing. Her bro-ther Lenny Watson went to the same agents and acquired a place immediately. The shop opened despite resistance, and the opening gave a feeling of warmth and unity, as Magungun Wanumbe, a tribal elder from Arnhem Land, danced dances of his tribe.

 

The shop isn't aiming at making a profit; the main aim is to have a centre for those who want to display their

 

 

works, and express themselves in their art. The gallery enables people to meet and have work-shops in bark paintings, video, and screenprint-ing. Also there will be discussion groups, and a seminar on racism. An art exhibition for students of any age commences on the 27th of November. Entries must be in by 20th of November. Also there will be a photographic exhibition on the 4th of December. All entries must be in by the 27th of November. Name and address on the back of entries

would be appreciated.

 

Anyone who would like their work to be sold

at the gallery get in touch with Maureen Watson, also there is

10% commission charge

on anything sold.

 

Donations have already been given to the

gallery by groups from

all over Australia, and some are on loan. A lot

of the works donated and given on loan are from Wallaga Lake, The Finke River, and Noonkanbah. Among the artists who have some of their works for sale are Colin Isaacs, Richard Martin, and a few other notables. Phemie Bostock has her works of tapestry and leatherwork. A lot of the works come from the area of La Perouse, in Sydney.

 

For those who live in Sydney, and who are visiting, there will be notices put in the front window announcing times of sessions of story telling given by Maureen Watson.

 

   Theresa Creed

   Mervyn Fitzgerald

Postscript:  The family say the owner of the building, their eventual landlord was a 'real decent human being'.

     
   
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