National Reconciliation Week 2021

Recently John Parkinson, NGV educator, caught up with artist, master weaver and inspirational educator Cassie Leatham to talk art, her influences – and about her friendly Emu PePe who malts and provides her with feathers for her beautiful healing mats. Filmed at the Koorie Heritage Trust, this great Q&A video episode is definitely one to watch with any budding artists in your life. Cassie has exhibited nationally and internationally and her artworks have been acquired by the NGV, Koorie Heritage Trust Collection, and Magistrate’s Court of Victoria.

Brought to you by Fed Square in partnership with the Koorie Heritage Trust and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.

Inspired by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, Aunty Bronwyn will teach you how to sculpture hay with wool to create a Bush Animal with real personality! A light-hearted workshop with a good laugh about all the funky creatures that are being created. Guests will be seated on the ground, but there will be chairs available for those that would prefer not to sit on the Atrium floor. This event has now booked out.

A 30-minute dance class with a Wurundjeri person on country learning the cultural moves and exploring the six layers of country. Djirri Djirri Dancers are the only Wurundjeri female dance group, and also Traditional Custodians of Narrm (Melbourne).

Story telling in all forms is crucial to sharing and understanding historic and popular culture.

Deadly Narratives: Recent Collection Highlights brings together Victorian Aboriginal narratives represented by 5 years of art collecting by the KHT since moving to the Birrarung (Yarra) Building at Fed Square in 2015.

The deadly narratives are told through a range of media including acrylic on canvas and board, prints, ceramics, textile, pokerwork possum skin, weaving and jewellery.

Deadly Narratives showcase the unique and important place the KHT collection holds in Victoria and nation-wide. The collection highlights in the exhibition reflect the strong, vibrant and living culture of south east Australia, representing individuals and communities that continue to connect to place and country.

Let The Light Shine is the first ever solo exhibition of artist Cameron Benson.

Growing up, the artist watched his artist mother create beautiful artwork, and it was her passion for painting and drawing that inspires him today. While Benson is a professional truck driver, he spends much of his spare time painting, and this is an important way for him to honour his mother and connect to culture.

Based in Geelong, Benson’s mother was of Scottish-English heritage and his father, a member of the Eastern Arrernte people, was born under a tree on the dry river bed of the Todd River, Alice Springs.

Join NGV curator Hannah Presley on Saturday 29 May at 12pm at NGV Australia, as she speaks with exhibiting artist Clinton Naina, artist and curator Kent Morris, along with researcher Zena Cumpston, about the importance of cultural leadership and generational knowledge in facing the challenges of climate change.

Big Weather is a timely exhibition that recognises the sophisticated appreciation of weather systems that exists within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural knowledge. Bringing together a significant selection of works drawn from the NGV Indigenous Collection,  Big Weather shares stories of creation to illustrate how landscapes were formed and sacred waterways are refreshed and refilled. This exhibition is open 10am–5pm daily at NGV Australia, and entry is free.

Industry Connections gives teens the chance to meet artists, industry leaders and creatives in this online event series. Through informal discussion and illustrated presentations, find out about their creative careers and gain insights into the diverse roles and opportunities in the creative industries. Bring your questions!

Artist: Jenna Lee is a mixed race Larrakia, Wardaman and Karajarri, Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Filipino) and Anglo Australian woman whose contemporary art practice explores identity, labelling and the relationships formed between language, labels and objects. As part of Reconciliation Week, Jenna will discuss her career path and artistic practice spanning sculpture, paper-based works, projection, found objects and language.

Artist: Jenna Lee is a mixed-race Larrakia, Wardaman and Karajarri, Asian (Japanese, Chinese, Filipino) and Anglo Australian woman whose artistic practice uses paper, painting, projection, found objects, books and the written word to explore her identity, culture and childhood memories. Children can join Jenna in fun art-making activities inspired by her artwork and NGV exhibition Big Weather.

In acknowledgement of Reconciliation Week, Jenna will demonstrate how to create a drawing of kindness and respect and transform it into a paper heart using a simple origami folding technique. Materials required: sheets of paper, scissors and coloured markers or pencils.

Fed Square will be livestream broadcasting the annual Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service from the Shrine of Remembrance. This annual event honours the service and sacrifice of First Nations people, past and present. First Nations people have served in every conflict and peacekeeping mission involving Australia for more than a century. Despite this, Aboriginal people were not allowed to enlist until the Second World War and for many years their service was not recognised. We invite you to share in righting this wrong – in recognising and remembering all First Nations people who have served and continue to serve.

We look back to last year’s East Arnhem Live – an online concert series bringing the culture, history and beauty of East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory to audiences across Australia and the world.