News just in from the Museums Australia conference in Adelaide, our Marnti warajanga – a walk together travelling exhibition has won the Museums and Galleries National Award for the level 3 category ($150,000 to $500,000) temporary exhibition.
Jigalong is a two hour drive from Newman and sits on the edge of the Little Sandy Desert, home of the Martu people. Unlike Yandeyarra and Warralong, Jigalong is lucky enough to be better resourced with a Community Health Centre, a shop, a petrol station, a ranger’s headquarters and a police station.
In this blog you will meet dogs from the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia, who have worked closely with their communities. See how they bear witness to momentous historical movements and reflect on the ongoing work for social and political change at a community and national level.
The trip in to Yandeyarra this time around was far easier than my last visit three months earlier. On that trip I encountered a river crossing road that abruptly ended due to a recent cyclone-induced wash out.
Pseudechis australis. This tongue twister of a species is a long time resident of the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia including the Pilbara. More commonly known as the king brown snake it is part of everyday life along with red sand, acacias and galahs. Travelling through the Pilbara landscape on the way to Warralong for the mid-week Marnti warajanga community event, I could only envy Pseudechis australis and its environment.
OMG, where do I begin? There are so many stories, so many anecdotes, so many observations and so many experiences. I am overwhelmed with material I don’t know where to start with my next blog.
It’s great to be back in the Pilbara once more. To see the people again that I have been photographing and collaborating with for five years now is very special to me.
Still in South Hedland and the joy we are experiencing from this community continued with two days spent at South Hedland Primary School. The kids amazed us with their confidence, abilities, happiness and spirit.
Here we are in Port Hedland, a town that would appear a stereotypical mining town full of high vis people in high vis cars, with high vis flags that always seem to be in reverse because the beeping never stops. A town where even the shopping trolley handles are stained the colour of iron ore.
Up again, down again. This is how I can best describe an intense week of testing that challenged many of us both physically and emotionally.
It wasn’t your average venue for a fine art exhibition but remember this is Marnti warajanga which is not your average touring exhibition.
Eight weeks, fifteen venues, six towns and 85 workshops. This is the large and exciting task for the Marnti warajanga Pilbara touring itinerary.
