gab titui cultural centre gab titui cultural 2007 year in revie · 2015. 7. 28. · college, is...

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1 Gab Titui Cultural

Seasons

Greetings

2007

from

Gab Titui Cultural Centre

2007 Year in Review

Queensland Tourism Award Winner-Indigenous Tourism

2005 2006 2007


Cover: Left to Right, Front: Rellis Petrou, Michael Kanai, Aven Noah Jnr. Back: Robyn Fernandez, Karen Loban, Chi Chi Fuji and Frank David. (Absent: George Dann) Photography: Susan Reilly


Getting Involved Keep an eye on our weekly advertise-ment in the Torres News for upcoming events and workshops, or on the no-tice boards around town. Don’t hesi-tate to ring the Centre and talk to our friendly staff if you have any questions or want to make a booking for one of our many advertised workshops or projects. Alternatively, you can come into Gab Titui for a chat to learn more about what the Centre is doing includ-ing exhibitions and programs. How do I get there? Gab Titui is located on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, on the corner of Blackall Street and Victoria Parade. If you are travelling from mainland Australia it is a two hour flight from Cairns. How do I contact the centre? We have phone, fax, email and postal addresses, the details are as follows: P: 07 4090 2130 F: 07 4090 2145 E: [email protected] PO Box 261 Thursday Island QLD 4875

Gab Titui Cultural Centre Staff

A/Manager: Robyn Fernandez Retail Officer: Chi Chi Fuji Administration Assistant: Karen Loban Gallery Officer: Frank David Trainees: Rellis Petrou Michael Kanai Aven Noah Jnr. Groundsman: Thomas Mene Torres Strait Arts Development Offi-cer: George Dann


Gab Titui Café The Gab Titui Café is open for coffee and cake from 9.00am and lunch from 11.00am –2pm Monday to Saturday. The Café is open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday 6.00-10.00pm. Bookings are advised. Over the past year Gab Titui Café has hosted many functions including wed-dings, community functions, birthday parties and business meetings. The Café is a great location to sit back on the deck and enjoy a freshly brewed coffee, catch up with friends for lunch or a place to hold your im-portant function. Gab Titui Café would like to take this opportunity to thank the continual sup-port of the community and look for-ward to an eventful year in 2008. For any inquiries the Café can be con-tacted on the below number.

Phone: 07 40692 990

Gab Titui Café Staff Chef: Steve Lawson Front of House Coordinator: Margaret Humphries Service Staff: Kalarni Noah Iona Noah Bakoi Bon Kepu Bon Lisa Rea Thelma Savage


Welcome to Gab Titui Cultural Centre’s Year in Review. This year has been an exciting year for the Centre with exhi-bitions, events, projects, public pro-grams and awards. Arts and Cultural Development is a key to promoting the well being of commu-nities. It strengthens community ca-pacity, connects identity and provides opportunities for social, economic and environmental prosperity. The staff at Gab Titui are committed to the preser-vation of Torres Strait Culture and the ongoing support of artists. Gab Titui Cultural Centre is part of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) . We would like to thank the TSRA Board for their continual support and commitment to long term Arts and Cultural Development and preservation within the region. Over the following pages you can read about all the exciting Arts and Cultural initiatives that have occurred over the last year. 2007 has also been an exciting year for Torres Strait Islander artists with Mr. Dennis Nona winning first prize in the 24th Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award. In November Gab Titui won the Tour-ism Queensland Award for Indigenous Tourism for the third year in a row, taking us into the Award’s Hall of Fame. This is a remarkable achieve-ment as the Centre is only three years old. Finally we would like to take this op-portunity to wish all our supporters, funding bodies, members and commu-nities, seasons greeting and a big Esso for your support over the past year. Robyn Fernandez A/Manager Gab Titui Cultural Centre


First Pearlers Exhibition The First Pearlers exhibition has been in the Ephraim Bani Gallery for the past 12 months. It highlights the rich Pearling history of the Torres Strait and informs, particularly the younger generation about the industry during the late 1800’s that brought migrants to the region, through to the early 1900’s, of which their descendants, are a part of Torres Strait modern so-ciety today. Torres Strait Islander history is impor-tant and it is imperative that we pre-serve it for future generations to learn and draw inspiration from. Over the past year the exhibition has continued to impress and educate visi-tors and locals with its comprehensive overview of the pearling industry in the Torres Strait.

Written by Frank David

Trigger Fish and Trevally book launch

Mer Island priest Father Stephen Tabo, has turned a local legend into a book to teach children to listen to their par-ents. The book published by Wontulp Buya College, is based on a traditional Mer Island story about a mother and her only son that ends with a moral mes-sage.


Profile on Gab Titui’s Trainees

Gab Titui Cultural Centre currently has three trainees completing their certifi-cate III in Tourism Operations. The trainees are involved in all aspects of the Centre’s operations and have the opportunity to gain a comprehen-sive understanding of gallery and mu-seum operations, to deliver guided tours of the Centre, experience retail operations and hospitality training in the Café. It is inspiring to see young people committed to promoting their culture and supporting the arts in the Torres Strait. The 2007 Trainees are: Rellis Petrou Michael Kanai Aven Noah Jnr


Arts Info Board

Gab Titui Cultural Centre now has a arts and cultural information board. Whenever we receive information about industry news, grants and up-coming projects they are placed on the arts and cultural industry board so the public can gain access to current infor-mation about indigenous arts and cul-ture both locally and nationally. The Arts Info Board is located on the café side of the gallery so come and check it out to keep updated on cur-rent industry news.

Written by Robyn Fernandez


It is designed as a part of a teaching package for religious education teach-ers in remote communities. It is important for cultural preservation that stories are documented and put into print, this way they will not be lost or disappear altogether. Triggerfish and Trevally is available at the Gab Titui gift shop. Written by Frank David

Mura Solwata Kosker Book

Launch Mura Solwata Kosker provides a pow-erful reflection into the history of Mura Kosker and a unique window on the lives and cultures of Indigenous women’s rights in the Torres Strait. The late Mrs. Ellie Gaffney shares with us her personal journey overcoming hurdles faced in the context of broader struggles of the 1960’s equal rights to the 1980’s separation and recognition of Torres Strait Islanders. Dedicated to the Late Ellie Gaffney AM, Campaigner for Women’s Rights and the ever-present challenges of health equality for indigenous people. Written By Frank David


Kids APT comes to Gab Titui Cultural Centre

Gab Titui Cultural Centre held the Kids Asia-Pacific Triennial (APT) Summer Spectacular on the 13th of January and the 16th of April. The Centre hosted some new and exciting interactive art-ist-developed activities drawn from the Kids APT, part of ‘The 5th Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’. The materials and entry was free and the workshop was fun-filled for the kids and their families.

Photography: Rellis Petrou Written by: Rellis Petrou

Jewellery Workshop with Margot Douglas

Jewellery maker Ms. Margot Douglas, great granddaughter of Mr. John Douglas a political figure in the early history of Thursday Island, conducted a two day workshop at Gab Titui on the 31st of March to the 1st of April. Lo-cals had the opportunity to learn and practice the art of Stone Setting (working with silver, Copper and Brass), with their own choice of ear-rings, necklaces or bracelets. While conducting the workshop Margot opened the RE-WIND/FOR-WARD exhibi-tion.

Jewellery Making. Photography: Frank David


This demonstrates outstanding per-formance in the chosen category. Next year the Centre will automatically go into the Australia Tourism Awards where last year Gab Titui Cultural Cen-tre came Highly Commended, so fin-gers crossed for 2008. Written by Robyn Fernandez

Telstra Awards Torres Strait Islander Artists domi-nated the 24th Telstra National Aborigi-nal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award For the first time in its 24 year history a Torres Strait artist won this prestig-ious Indigenous Art Award. Mr. Dennis Nona won first prize of $40,000 (non acquisitive) for his work Ubirikubiri, a cast bronze work repre-senting a legend that took place on the Mai Kusa (River) on the Western Coast of Papua New Guinea. Alick Tipoti won the Telstra Work on Paper Award for the second year in a row, for his work Gubau Aimai Mabai-gal lino cut on paper. Gubau Aimai Mabaigal means “Wind Makers” in the Maluilgal Zenadh Kes language. They are the Zugubal who create and con-trol the four winds that clear the air-ways of the islands. (Alick Tipoti) For the first time the Darnley Island Community Arts & Cultural Centre was selected to exhibit in the Telstra Na-tional Aboriginal & Torres Strait Is-lander Art Award. The lino prints on display were a joint entry by the Erub Artists. This really was a fantastic year for all of these Torres Strait artists and Gab Titui would like to congratulate them all. Written by George Dann


Overall the attendance was good on all three of the islands and the presenta-tions were excellent. The presenters received feedback on matters occur-ring around the islands from profes-sional and upcoming artists. The Arts Law Centre of Australia can assist artists with free legal advice, in-formation and referral. VISCOPY licenses the copyright in ar-tistic works and pays the artist (or copyright owner) a royalty for the re-production (i.e. when your images are used in books, merchandise etc). . (Taken from UMI NEWS (UMI Arts Centre) Aug – Oct 2007) Viscopy: contact Mr. Chris Richardson 1800 649 901 Arts Law Centre of Australia: 1800 221 457 Uni Arts: 07 4041 6152 Written by Aven Noah

Tourism Queensland Awards

For the third year in a row Gab Titui Cultural Centre has won the Tourism Queensland Award for Indigenous Tourism. For a Centre that is only three years old this is a remarkable achievement. As Gab Titui has won three years in a row, it has been inducted in the Award’s Hall of Fame.

Front: Rellis Petrou, Michael Kanai, Aven Noah Back: Robyn Fernandez, Karen Loban, Chi Chi Fuji and Frank David (Absent: George Dann) Photography: Susan Reilly


The display exhibited the surviving documents and personal letters of Mr. John Douglas spanning a period of 13 years from 1893 to 1904.

FACT FILE: Mr. John Douglas, 2004 marks the centennial anniversary of his death on Thursday Island, where he had resided since his appointment as special Commissioner to New Guinea 1885-87 and Government Resi-dent of Torres Strait from 1884 until his death in 1904, aged 76. (Taken from “Rewind/Forward” brochure) Written by Frank David

Third Birthday Celebrations Gab Titui Cultural Centre’s Third Birth-day was celebrated this year with a series of festivities including island dancing and children’s activities as well as for the first time, a regional ex-hibition of works by artists and crafts-people from across the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. The opening of the Regional Visual Arts and Crafts Exhibitions was a high-light along with a variety of entertain-ment including dancing, traditional craft and Aria Award winner Uncle Seaman Dan performing. There were over ninety works on dis-play showcasing a mix of mediums in-cluding painting, photography, sculp-ture, mixed media, lino and screen prints, textiles, jewellery and carving. Written by Robyn Fernandez

Jewellery produced at the workshop. Photography: Frank David


Presentation of the Historic Chinese Temple Bell

The Third Birthday hosted a historic return of the Chinese Temple Bell by the Royal Australian Navy. The bell was originally presented to HMAS Una in 1916 by the Chinese residents of Thursday Island. The Bell is a Manchu Dynasty cast iron temple bell in the Confucian style. It has cast Chinese traditional animal characters on the flange and painted and embossed decals cover the sur-face and lip. The Bell is on permanent display in the Ephraim Bani Gallery. Written by Robyn Fernandez

Black Olive and the Outback Cafe The celebrity chef Mark Olive provided an insightful and tasty experience at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre utilising local produce with tradi-tional bush herbs. Attendees were also

fortunate enough to experience the notable Saibai

Dancers and listen to Aria Award win-ner Uncle Seaman Dan. The evening was a huge success with Mark filming a segment for his cooking show The Outback Café. Written by Robyn Fernandez

Mark Olive. Photography George Dann

Saibai Island Dancers. Photography George Dann


As the year closes and the festive sea-son approaches Gab Titui Cultural Cen-tre Gift Shop would like to say a big “Thank You” to each and everyone of our members and artists. Wishing you all a very happy & prosperous 2008. Written by Chi Chi Fuji

Copyright Workshop-Artist in Black Program

On the 11th & 12th September 2007, Mr. Nicholas Mills from “UMI Arts” in partnership with Mr. Chris Richardson of “Viscopy” and Ms. Blanch Lake of “Arts Law Centre of Australia” con-ducted Copyright Workshops on sev-eral of the islands in the Torres Strait. The team visited Thursday Island on the 11th September, where they pre-sented their first workshop which was held at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre (5pm-7pm) and on the 12th September they visited both Erub (9am-12pm) and Mer Islands (1pm-4pm). The workshops presented aimed to in-form Torres Strait Islander and Abo-riginal Artists and organisations who are seeking legal advice to help them with their Arts and Crafts, such as paintings, songs, dances etc. It cov-ered critical issues including copyright and moral rights, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), con-tracts, reproduction of artwork, pro-motion, licensing of designs, wills and artists’ estates.


The Artist workshop consisted of art-ists from Saibai, Kubin, Mabuiag, Ma-sig, Mer, Hammond and Prince of Wales communities. The artist work-shop was extremely productive. The artists worked out of their comfort zones over three days, making tradi-tional items out of contemporary ob-jects. For example, the artists made a boat out of a shopping trolley with on-ion bag sails other materials were also used including wire, wool, reeds and recycled plastic bags. All of these items are on display at Gab Titui Cul-tural Centre until the 16th of Decem-ber. Janice also spent a week on Erub Is-land at the community’s Arts Centre hosting similar workshops for the art-ists there. Written by: Rellis Petrou

Gab Titui Gift Shop

The Gab Titui Cultural Centre’s Gift Shop has had a very busy year thanks to all our wonderful artists and suppli-ers throughout the Torres Strait and down south who have provided prod-ucts covering all medium of art works and jewellery. The Gab Titui Cultural Centre offers a annual membership fee of $25 single and $45 for a family. This is valid for 12 months, and enables you to pur-chase gifts from the shop at a 10% discount and 5% discount from the café. Plus you are automatically placed on our database and will be in-vited to all our exhibitions and special events that take place through the year. With Christmas coming just around the corner and if you are looking for that unique gift, call in to the Cultural Cen-tre and support the artists of the Tor-res Strait. See our new range of prod-ucts and art works that are on display. We also cover a large range of books.


Black Screen Indigenous Film

Festival

Message Stick Indigenous Film Festival came to Gab Titui on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th of June 2007. Message Stick Indigenous Film Festival was curated by Indigenous filmmakers Ms. Rachel Perkins and Mr. Darren Dale. There were a total of eight films with four films screened on each night. The attendance drew over a hundred peo-ple and entry was by gold coin dona-tion, all proceeds went to Mura Kosker Sorority. There were two films that were close to the hearts of the community, Island Fettlers and Sharpeye. Writer/Director Aaron Fa’aoso’s short film Sharpeye was a tribute to the fighting spirits of the people of the Torres Strait and Aboriginal Australia. Families attending enjoyed a sausage sizzle and refreshments. In addition to Sharpeye the following films were screened: • Jackie Jackie • Nana • Island Fettlers • Kwatye • Two Big Boys • The Turtle • Crocodile Dreaming Written by Michael Kanai Michael Kanai.

Photography: Thelma Savage

Film Night. Photography: Thelma Savage


Health Awareness Week Workshop

As part of Health Awareness week, which was held at the Ken Brown oval on the 26th of June 2007, the staff of Gab Titui, held a workshop for kids. They participated in a lino printing workshop where they printed designs onto flags. Participants at the workshop Photography: Michael Kanai

Over fifty children took part in the workshop. All the kids really enjoyed themselves and were very excited about taking their flags home to their parents.

Photography: Michael Kanai

Written By Michael Kanai

Ghost Nets Workshop—With Chantal Cordey

Chantal Cordey won an Australian wide competition to design a product out of ghost nets. She is a weaver and leather worker, and her winning entry was a guitar strap made out of the ghost nets and other materials.

Weaving. Photography: Robyn Fernandez


The school workshops were very edu-cational for the students as it covered a main part of Torres Strait culture. The workshop was based around the Stars of Tagai, so the students had to draw items and objects that repre-sented the Stars of Tagai. The work-shops were made up of different age groups, ranging from grade two to seven from the two Primary Schools and grade nine to twelve from the High School. Overall the workshops with the stu-dents were fun and enjoyable and the spirals the students made were dis-played in the Cultural Centre.

Frank working on his design. Photography: George Dann

Joseph with his headdress made from mixed media. Photography: George Dann


The Culture Cullt Clan (‘Cullt’ as in ‘Culled’) exhibition comprises four separate glass cabinets, each contain-ing a headdress with corresponding items. The works are contemporary constructed out of natural and man made materials. The works make reference to the frag-mentation of indigenous societies, and the notion of museums embodying this fragmentation, hence the displaying of the work in a museum context. Janice’s work is playful, contemporary yet immersed in reclaiming identity through the culmination of urban and traditional contexts. Janice also presented an artist talk at the Gab Titui on 17 November as part of her exhibition. Janice conducted a series of work-shops during her stay on Thursday Is-land. She worked with students from Our Lady of Sacred Heart, Tagai State Primary School, Tagai State High School and various artists from around the Torres Strait.

Artist Janice Peacock with workshop partici-pant Georgia , Photography: George Dann


Participants at the workshop. Photography: Robyn Fernandez Chantal visited the Torres Strait and hosted several workshops on making woven items out of recycled ghost nets.

Kin & Country

Kin and Country opened at Gab Titui on 14 August until 16 September 2007. The exhibition was a touring ex-hibition from Tanks Arts in Cairns. The works comprised of fine art paintings from the West Coast Cape York Art Movement. The following artists’ work were on display: Shaun Kalk Edwards Margaret de Jersey Daphne de Jersey Priscilla Major Cathy Snow Written by Robyn Fernandez

Frank, Rellis, Aven and Micheal in front of works by Shaun Edwards Kalk. Photogra-phy: Robyn Fernandez


KATHRYN NORRIS EXHIBITION

Kathryn Norris is one of many young locally based artists on Thursday Is-land in the Torres Strait. Kathryn held her first solo exhibition “Bits and Pieces” which was displayed at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre from the 2nd to 28th of October 2007. Her Exhibition “Bits & Pieces” is a pro-ject which comprises of drawings on paper using pastels to create images of local eye-catching scenes, and also to complete a series she began in the late nineties by recreating and adding further images. (Taken from Kathryn Norris’s Profile – Gab Titui Cultural Centre) She has interpreted the beauty of our landscape and the various stages of our history, including the arrival of Christianity and World War II, and placed them on paper for the commu-nity to enjoy. Kathryn has experimented with vari-ous mediums, including ceramics, ba-tik, lino printing and jewellery designs, and has also taught at local educa-tional institutions as an artist in resi-dence and tutor. Written by Aven Noah Jnr.

September Holiday Workshops

As part of our public programs Gab Ti-tui Cultural Centre held two holiday workshops during the September School Holidays. Carnival Mask Making: A fun workshop experimenting with mixed media including feathers, col-oured paper, string, glitter and paint to create a carnival mask.

Photography: Michael Kanai


Pastel Techniques with Kathryn Norris: During the September—October school holidays, as part of Kathryn Norris’ Ex-hibition “Bits & Pieces”, a free Pastel Technique Workshop for kids at Gab Titui Cultural Centre was held. The kids who participated in the work-shop were very privileged to get a free demonstration and understanding of the basic technique of creating artwork using pastels on paper. The kids ex-hibited their talent with pastel while under the close supervision of Kathryn, to produce remarkable pieces of art-work, demonstrating the unique talent that Torres Strait harbours. Written by Aven Noah Jnr

Culture Cullt Clan-

Contemporary Works by Janice Peacock.

Gab Titui opened the “Culture Cullt Clan” Exhibition by Janice Peacock on the 5th of November 2007. There was a great turn out of people on the night, and we were glad to have Janice here at the opening. Janice Peacock is an artist and descen-dant from the Torres Strait Eastern Is-land, Erub. Janice was born in Mareeba, north Queensland in 1955, and her family moved to Brisbane after her birth. Janice’s mother, Mrs. Eva Peacock (nee Salam), was born on Thursday Island and her Australian born father, Mr. Jack Peacock, was of English and Irish descent.

Photography: Aven Noah Jnr

gab titui cultural centre gab titui cultural 2007 year in revie · 2015. 7. 28. · college, is...

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