Warmun Art: Making History in the East Kimberley

**Warmun Art exhibition at Artspace Gallery cancelled**

Adelaide Festival Centre regretfully advises that the exhibition Warmun Art: Making History in the East Kimberley has been cancelled due to severe floods in the Warmun community, and significant damage to the Warmun Art Centre in the East Kimberley.

Arts and Business Manager of Warmun Art Centre Maggie Fletcher said: “Warmun Art Centre has been almost destroyed. We lost about 90% of the works – washed away down the river- but by grace of being in an enclosed space have saved at least half of the community’s archival collection. Those holding Warmun Art on consignment are now custodians of works very very special until we get back on our feet.

“To everyone who has sent their encouragement and offers to help – a really big thank you. The main thing is – the Warmun Art Centre will be rebuilt. The artists are saying – we will start again, build it up, make it strong again and will not give up in getting their community rebuilt and coming back as soon as possible.

“For people interested in assisting the rebuild of the Warmun Art Centre they will soon be able to purchase works. There will be more information on other ways of helping released shortly.”

Adelaide Festival Centre Visual Arts Programming Executive Susan Jenkins said: “We are extremely disappointed that we have had to cancel the exhibition which was programmed to coincide with About Time: South Australia’s History Festival. We offer our condolences to the Warmun community for its devastating loss and offer our support in the re-establishment of the Warmun art tradition as the cornerstone of Warmun community.”

New works in earth pigments and ochre alongside historical works by early painters will be exhibited with archival footage of performances of the Gurirr Gurirr ceremony, the dynamic source of the now famous East Kimberley art movement.

Part of History Week 2011.

Helpful links
See the full 2011 Season