Aboriginal art at Shumei’s July Art Symposia
Katherine Benke
Imagine a vast landscape, red earth covered with lush and varied vegetation in soft shapes and subtle shades of green and the colors of spring, with a naked blue sky that reaches beyond the horizon in any direction. Look close and you will see goannas, snakes and perentie lizards and look afar without looking and you will see the buff colored dingos,
grey emus and red kangaroos move out of their camouflage. Be still and feel the pulse of a quiet, gentle, resourceful people who have walked and thrived upon the earth for 60,000 continuous years.
Sunday, July 15, at 3:00 p.m., join Andra Archer at Shumei International Institute as she presents artwork from the heartland of Australia – the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands, ‘Anangu’ meaning ‘people’ and ‘Pitjantjatjara’ referring to the language group that travels and maintains a vast land area located in the remote bush lands of central Australia, just southwest of Uluru (Ayers Rock).
The Australian Aboriginal art represented in this exhibit has been generously provided through AnanguKu Arts and Culture Corporation an artist-owned (predominantly women) collective. Each work of art is an individual expression of the artist’s environment, culture and ancestral heritage, using designs dating back centuries and
those that are contemporary. There are three basic styles of design the Anangu women artists use and each one tells a story: “walka” (abstract, yet iconographic design), “mai putitja - bush tucker” (bush foods) and “dreaming” (creation law or creation ancestors).
All work is for sale and directly benefits the artists financially, builds their self-esteem and helps to maintain their art centers.
Archer recently spent time living and working on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands; her presentation will open the 2007 Shumei International Institute (SII) Symposia Series. This year, each symposium will be held on the third Sunday of the month, from July through October. SII in Crestone, CO, is a not for profit organization created to promote spiritual growth through interfaith activities, the practice of Natural Agriculture, and the sponsorship of the arts and cultural events.
Through symposia, exhibitions, and community receptions, SII actively encourages the integration of art and beauty into daily life. Art can put humankind in touch with the best qualities of human nature. When touched by beauty we place a higher value on life and on all creation. The arts foster harmony both within the individual and among communities. Shumei encourages its members and friends to make the arts an integral part of their lives.
Shumei’s gallery is free and open to the public 7 days a week from 9-5 PM. To find out more about SII, or for directions to the gallery, call Matthew Crowley: 719-256-5285. To inquire about Australian Aboriginal artwork curated by Andra Archer, contact Katherine Benke, Insight Art Connection: 719-588-9044, or email Katherine@InsightArtConnection.com.
