$1.6m for Aboriginal public art

Artwork from Western Australian Aboriginal artists will feature on large digital screens at the WA Museum Boola Bardip, as part of a $1.6 million public art program.

Two digital screens, one at the museum’s entrance, and the other, a long ‘ribbon’ screen, will display the works.

The public art program is being curated by the Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of WA and will be delivered over the next four years.

The initial program will include works from the state collection at the Art Gallery of WA and artwork from this year’s Revealed exhibition, which was shown online due to COVID-19 restrictions.

It includes work from nearly 100 artists including Shane Pickett, Laurel Nannup, Mervyn Street and Sonia Kurrarra.

Culture and Arts Minister David Templeman said the annual program would continue to showcase extraordinary and diverse artworks.

"Public art contributes to our understanding and appreciation of our cultural and natural heritage, enhancing our built environment and creating more meaningful public spaces,” Mr Templeman said.

“It is fitting that the public art for the Museum represents all regions of our State, shared through the perspectives of Western Australian Aboriginal communities.

"This is a novel approach to public art which is exciting and inclusive.

Instead of a single artist creating a piece that stands in perpetuity, this initiative will ensure hundreds of Aboriginal artists will be featured and, of course, will benefit financially.

“This is particularly important when both artists, and regional Western Australians have been doing it tough due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

WA Museum Boola Bardip will open on November 21.

Only people who won tickets in a special ballot will be able to visit during the first nine days, with the general public able to book tickets from November 30.

People can visit the museum for free for the first 18 months.

Last week, the state government announced the first major exhibition at the museum would be Songlines: Tracking the Seven Sisters, which will feature more than 300 paintings and multimedia documenting the story of the Seven Sisters travelling across Australia from Roebourne to the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands.