Warlayirti Artists

Warlayirti Artists is one of Australia’s leading Indigenous art centres whose artists have a reputation for producing uniquely individual and vibrant paintings. Situated on the edge of the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts in northern Western Australia, Balgo is a small community of around 350 people. Warlayirti Artists, however, represents more than 200 artists across the three communities in the Kutjungka region – Kururrungku (Billiluna), Mulan, and Wirrimanu (Balgo) representing seven main language groups: Kukatja, Walmatjarri, Ngarti, Jaru, Wangkatjunga, Pintupi and Warlpiri. The number of artists, their different histories and the variety of language and cultural groups means that each artist brings uniqueness to the canvas.

Warlayirti Artists is a community-based Aboriginal Corporation incorporated under the new CATSI Act (Corporations- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) 2007. This means that Warlayirti Artists is controlled and managed by a Committee of Aboriginal artists which is elected annually by the members of Warlayirti Artists. Since July 2002 Warlayirti Artists has been totally self-funding for core operational costs. This means that the Art Centre receives no operational funding for the core staff positions of Director, Art Centre Manager, Culture Centre Manager and Development Assistant plus production, administration and travel costs. The indigenous staff employed across the organisation are partly funded by Warlayirti and partly through government subsidy.

How does the Art Centre work?

All Indigenous people living in the Kutjungka region can produce art through Warlayirti Artists. Warlayirti Artists supplies all materials to the artists for the production of their art at no upfront cost to the artists. Warlayirti Artists uses only the best quality professional art materials. Warlayirti Artists staff make fortnightly trips to Mulan and Billiluna to supply materials to artists and collect completed works.

Artists return the completed art work to the Art Centre, the story for the art work is recorded, the art work is catalogued in the Warlayirti Artists database, documentation is produced and the work is then offered for sale through the Art Centre.

Art works are not purchased up front by the Art Centre. Artists receive payment for art works once they are sold. The Art Centre operates two “money mornings” each week on Mondays and Fridays and these are the mornings when artists can check to see if any of their art works have been sold and if so receive their payment.

The Art Centre receives a commission on the sale of each art work which covers the costs of materials and contributes to the operational costs of the Art and Culture Centres, as explained above. The commission received by the Art Centre is 20% for works $300 and less and 40% for works over $300. The majority of the money for which an art work is sold is returned directly to the artist.

What does the Culture Centre do?

The Warlayirti Artists Culture Centre supports the passing on the dreaming stories and contemporary stories from the community through an ongoing video and photography documentation program. Members of the community participate in this program as photographers, videomakers, editors, translators and interviewees. In addition to the documentation program the Culture Centre supports the production of baskets, beading and coolamon making. The Centre also houses significant cultural artifacts for the Kutjungka region.