Papulankutja Artists – Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Western Desert
Papulankutja Artists is a 100% Artist owned and governed Aboriginal Corporation, that supports Blackstone Community and keeps culture strong.
In 2017-2018, my family and I were living and working in Blackstone (Papulankutja), an Aboriginal Community in the remote Western Desert of Western Australia. I was employed there to manage the Art Centre, named Papulankutja Artists – this was a life changing experience.
As Manager, I held a cross-cultural arts management role, working closely with a Board of Directors to facilitate excellence in art making, support Yarnangu staff and manage the strategic and operational aspects of the business (including marketing, sales and reporting) to achieve positive artistic, social and economic outcomes.
My top priority was making sales for our artists—both locally and internationally—working with galleries of all sizes. Equally important to me was fostering engagement between the art centre and the local community. I made every effort to create artistic opportunities for the children and young people of Papulankutja, ensuring that knowledge, law, and stories (Tjukurpa) continue to be passed down and kept alive.