Wadjar Regional Indigenous Gallery showcases the works of regional Indigenous artists, artisans and craftspeople. It is also the home of the Annual Saltwater Freshwater Indigenous Art Award. The gallery features an extensive display of regionally produced traditional and contemporary arts and crafts, books, clothing, CDs and giftware.

Wadjar means ‘earth’.

BACKGROUND

The Wadjar Gallery opened in 1996 and is a cultural service of Yarrawarra Aboriginal Corporation supported by Arts NSW, Industry & Investment NSW, Museums & Galleries NSW, Regional Arts and other funding bodies. The Gallery aims to be a centre of excellence in Indigenous visual arts for the residents of and visitors to the mid North coast and Northern Rivers region to promote access to and the understanding and development of the Gumbaynggirr culture and coastal Aboriginal visual arts.

The Gallery manages a small collection of documented works. There are four sub-collections:

WADJAR REGIONAL INDIGENOUS GALLERY COLLECTION

1. Salt Water, Fresh Water Art Award

A collection of contemporary Aboriginal artworks acquired from 2010 onwards through the Salt Water, Fresh Water Festival and the mid north coast – Saltwater Freshwater Indigenous Art Award. The collection will consist of the winning work and the acquisitions of the award.

2. Aboriginal Art of and from the North Coast & Mid North Coast Region

Paintings, ceramics, prints, photographs, sculptures, drawings and mixed media works that are by an Aboriginal artist of or from the regions.

3. Photographic works

Contemporary and historical photographs depicting the Indigenous culture of the mid north coast/ Gumbaynggirr nation have been acquired into this collection since 1996 with a focus on local history, including a full copy of the Williams Lindt collection housed at Grafton Regional Gallery.

4. The Yarrawarra Artists

A collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints, acquired to support the development of individual Yarrawarra members’ arts practice.

The Gallery maintains and conserves the works in the collections, curates exhibitions for display in the region and for touring in Australia from the collections and develops the collections through acquisitions.

Select works in the collection are available by lease arrangement to local businesses and councils.

The aims of acquiring artworks for the Gallery collections are:

a) To support the Gallery’s vision statement of being a centre of excellence in the Aboriginal visual arts for the residents of and visitors to the north coast and mid north coast region. To support contemporary Australian Aboriginal visual arts practice and recognise Gumbaynggirr culture and coastal Aboriginal visual arts history of the north and mid north coast regions.

b) To develop the capital, cultural and aesthetic values of the collections.

c) To enhance and support regional, national & international cultural awareness and education via seminars, conferencing, workshops and public education programs.

Guided tours and private visits are available by appointment. The gallery is open to the public seven days a week.