Indigenous Jewellery Fundraiser

Craft ACT is committed to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander practice into Australian arts and culture and we need your help to pilot an important new project.

We have partnered with acclaimed visual artist and writer Jenni Kemarre Martiniello (Kemarre Arts) and the Indigenous Jewellery Project to help create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and raise the profile of contemporary Indigenous work. Together, we would like to present a new residency and a workshop program.

The residency will be offered to an established Indigenous artist (or artists) who want to further develop their craft and design practice. For Indigenous emerging artists in the Canberra region, the acclaimed Indigenous Jewellery Project will present a new program of jewellery-making workshops.

Why is this important?

The residency and workshop programs are designed to help Indigenous artists develop their practice in a professional capacity, educate public perception about the significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander jewellery and raise the profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and contemporary craft as a dynamic and exciting part of the Australian craft sector.

Works created through the residency and workshops may be exhibited during the Design Canberra Festival, which last year attracted over 94,000 people. The exhibition will also map the journey of the artists using photography and video.

We need your help

We were successful in securing a Plus-1 grant from Creative Partnerships Australia who will match dollar-for-dollar funds raised for this project (up to $10,000). With your help, our goal is to raise $10,000 to secure a total budget of $20,000 for this important project. Your contribution will go towards travel and accommodation for visiting artists and educators, artist fees, materials and post production, professional photography, venue hire and an exhibition.

If you can help (and we really hope you can!), head over to our fundraiser link and donate. You'll be an important part of our success story.