SWAN Hill Regional Art Gallery are currently displaying a range of artworks by the students of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts (ATSICA) program and the Koorie Community Arts Program (KCAP) from SuniTAFE Swan Hill.
The Telkaya Art exhibition is located inside Swan Hill Regional Library on Campbell Street and will be on display until February 2.
This year, seven students participated in either program over the course of a year.
Teacher of the two programs Koby Cunningham took part in KCAP as a student 10 years ago, and said she was glad the course had continued to run all this time.
“It’s great to have a program for Aboriginal people where they can learn and create in a supportive environment,” she said.
“We try to keep it student-led, so if they really want to do a specific thing, we try to include it in the curriculum.
“I just love seeing how they develop over time as we try different mediums with them.
“It’s great to see them find out what they like doing. For example, they might not be good at drawing with a pencil but if you give them some clay, they might create something amazing.”
Aunty Roslyn Thorpe is one of the students participating in the ATSICA program this year.
Her paintings are often inspired my the nature around her.
She said she took to the program because she wanted to share her stories with the wider community.
“This is my first time displaying my work and I’ve always wanted to share my story with others,” she said.
“I hope people enjoy seeing what we’ve done.
“I’m proud seeing what everyone else has done as well.
“It just goes to show that everyone has an artistic side if they put their mind to it.”
