Gloria Mengil of Waringarri Arts Centre, WA
Client: Country Style magazine
Location: The land of the Miriwoong people (Kununurra, Western Australia)
Sustainable Development Goals targeted:
Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
Waringarri Aboriginal Arts is the first wholly indigenous owned art centre established in Western Australia.
They are also one of the oldest continuously operating art centres in Australia, supporting economic independence for artists and their community. They celebrate the uniqueness of Miriwoong cultural identity.
There are more than 100 artists supported through the centre which also includes artists from the remote Kira Kiro Artists in Kalumburu on the northern Kimberley coast. One of these artists is Gloria Mengil, and I was lucky enough to spend a few hours documenting her art for regional magazine Country Style.
All proceeds from art sales, art commissions and cultural tourism is returned to the community, to support their ongoing program of arts and cultural projects.
