Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative

The Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative was founded in 1987[1] in the Sydney suburb of Redfern, New South Wales. Among the legacies of the Co-operative are the Deadly Awards for achievement in the Indigenous Australian community, which occurred annually from 1995 to 2013. The 20th anniversary of the Co-operative was celebrated in 2007 with an exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW.[2]

Boomalli Aboriginal Arts Co-Operative in August 2020

The founding members of the Co-operative are Michael Riley (1960–2004), Avril Quaill, Tracey Moffatt, Fiona Foley, Brenda L Croft, Jeffrey Samuels, Euphemia Bostock, Fern Martins, Bronwyn Bancroft and Arone Meeks.[3]

History

Boomalli has its roots in the National Black Theatre, which operated in Redfern in the 1970s and was part of "an explosion of pride and public confidence" in Aboriginal culture and organisations.[4]

The urban Aboriginal art movement was given attention in 1984 with an exhibition in Woolloomooloo, a suburb of Sydney. This was followed by a 1986 exhibition. A number of critics gave negative comments and called urban Aboriginal art "a passing fad".[5]

The ten artists who founded Boomalli were diverse in their art practices but together were seeking a way to be accepted in mainstream art. They have supported many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through their gallery, which is now in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt. Their primary objective is to support artists from Aboriginal language groups in the state of New South Wales.[6]

The word boomalli means "make a mark" in at least three Aboriginal languages: Bandjalung, Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay and Wiradjuri.[7]

The launch of the Co-operative in 1987 was made possible by photographer Michael Riley and activist Gary Foley, who was a director of the Aboriginal Arts Board and helped to get funding from the Board. But it was not smooth sailing. They were unable to achieve a permanent home and have had to move the Co-operative gallery four times. Government ministers did not respond to requests, and the Australian Taxation Office listed a major debt. With help from pro-bono lawyers the Co-operative was able to resolve their obligations and achieve legal rights to their current location.[8]

By 2012 Boomalli was being run professionally with financial management, governance and marketing. While the Leichhardt council is supportive, the Co-operative has received no funding or support from state or Federal government.[8]

The Artists

The urban Aboriginal art movement presented strong political messages about the history and treatment of Aboriginal Australians, and their treatment in the 1980s.[5]

In the 1990s the popularity of Aboriginal Art was booming nationally and overseas, as the Co-operative built relationships with major Australian and International galleries. [5]

Today Boomalli includes and actively supports 50 Aboriginal artists, many of whom are young emerging artists.[9] Many of these members have had enduring and successful careers.[10]

The Co-operative presents exhibitions each year,[11] and small galleries at the front of their Leichhardt location allow individual artists to self-curate small exhibitions.[6]

They also provide a shop of Aboriginal artists' work both in-gallery and online.

References
  1. Ewen McDonald, ed. (2012). Volume One: MCA Collection. Museum of Contemporary Art. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-921034-54-1. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  2. "Boomalli :: Art Gallery NSW". www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  3. "Boomalli celebrates 30 years – Art Almanac". Art Almanac. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  4. Hinkson, M.; Harris, A. (2010). Aboriginal Sydney: A guide to important places of the past and present Second edition. Aboriginal Studies Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-85575-712-0. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  5. "Boomalli Aboriginal Artists' Cooperative". dictionaryofsydney.org. Archived from the original on 1 March 2011. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  6. "ABOUT BOOMALLI". Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-op. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  7. "Boomalli |". www.sydneybarani.com.au. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  8. Bancroft, Bronwyn (August 2011). "Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative Ltd. an essay". Boomalli.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  9. "BOOMALLI ARTISTS". Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-op. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  10. "Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative | Indigenous Art Code". indigenousartcode.org. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  11. "2020 EXHIBITIONS". Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-op. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
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