A decade of creating First Nations arts workers

For ten years a program has supported over a hundred Indigenous curators and artists in a collaboration between the National Gallery of Australia and Wesfarmers.

Ten years in, the National Gallery of Australia’s (NGA) leadership program for Indigenous arts workers has now sent 104 alumni into the industry. First Nations arts workers can face many challenges, from isolation, to the gulf between regional and national institutions, and issues affecting cultural safety in the workplace.

Taking up one end of this challenge, the Wesfarmers Indigenous Arts Leadership & Fellowship Program was developed to arm emerging arts workers with industry knowledge, confidence and networks – and alumni say that it’s worked.

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Jane O'Sullivan
About the Author
Jane O’Sullivan is an independent art writer based in Sydney. Her work has appeared in Vault, Art Guide, Ocula, Flash Art, Running Dog and the Australian Financial Review. She is also a former editor of Art Collector and Art Edit magazines.