The Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award: Celebrating 20 Years is touring during 2004-2005 to Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne and Cairns.

This is the first triennial tour drawn from the annual Award exhibition staged in Darwin and sponsored by Telstra.

The exhibition features forty-seven works from the 20th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award in 2003, including the Telstra First Prize winning work by Richard Bell entitled Scientia E Metaphysica (Bell's Theorem).

The four category winners were: Winner of Telstra General Painting Award - Regina Wilson for Syaw-Fish Net. Winner of the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award - Lorna Jin-gubarrangunyja for Conical Fish Trap.

Winner of the Telstra Bark Painting Award - Galuma Maymuru for Guwak. Winner of the Telstra Work-on-paper Award - Alick Tipoti for Kuiyk ar Mari, Head and Spirit (Reincarnation) winner of the Telstra Work-on-paper Award).

Also featured is the 2003 People's Choice Sylvia Huege de Serville's "Assimilation Blues" and a number of category award winners from the 18th and 19th Awards in 2001 and 2002 along with the overall winners from these years. Included are Dorothy Napangardi's Salt on Mina Mina, (Telstra First Prize winner 18th NATSIAA 2001), and the intricately painted memorial pole titled Birrkuda Ringgitji Hollow Log by Arnhem Land artist Gawirrin Gumana (Telstra First Prize winner – 19th NATSIAA 2002.

The exhibition includes innovative and conventional works, in a variety of media by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from around Australia. As well as some exciting new artists the exhibition features established practitioners Fiona Foley, Trevor Nickolls, Makinti Napanangka, Eubina Nampitjin, Julie Dowling, Arone Raymond Meeks, Rosella Namok, Dorothy Napangardi, Bardayal Nadjamerrek and Phillip Gudthaykudthay. The exhibition presents an ideal opportunity for art lovers, collectors and students to view many of Australia's most significant artists.


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Tour venues:

• National Archives of Australia, Canberra (22 April - 25 July 2004)
• Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Adelaide (21 August - 7 November 2004)
• RMIT Gallery, Melbourne (13 December 2004 - 26 Feburary 2005)
• Cairns Regional Gallery, Cairns (1 July - 28 August 2005)

Six textiles from the Abbott Collection, 2000 have been selected to represent each of these themes.  Each textile acts as a springboard to explore both the technical aspects of Indonesian textiles along with their historical and contemporary significance.  By giving the textiles voices based on historical fact, each of these six textiles speak to us about how they were made, used and regarded across the Indonesian archipelago.

The six people who generously contributed their knowledge to the original exhibition gave voice to explain the significance that the textiles hold for them.  Each story offered insights into the extensive cultural importance and layered meaning that these textiles continue to hold for Indonesian people today.

Tour venues:

• Immigration Museum (11th April - 28th August 2005)
• Tamworth Regional Gallery (9th September - 30th October 2005)
• Latrobe Regional Gallery (17th February - 2nd April 2006)
• Wollongong City Gallery (6th May - 16th July 2006