Every September, the Desert Mob exhibition celebrates contemporary Aboriginal art, vibrant from Central Australian Aboriginal artists.
I love that there are so many different things to do here in Alice Springs and its surrounds. Art Events, for one thing, including Desert Mob.
It would be difficult to be unaware of Aboriginal art and its impact globally. I often notice an Aboriginal art painting hanging prominently on the wall above a sofa in a movie, series or in an interview. This global recognition represents a huge expansion since the early 1970s when the Papunya Tula Art Movement officially begun.
Papunya Tula Artists are now part of over 30 Desart-member art centres. These centres are located in the desert regions and communities in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. They are community based and owned and governed by Aboriginal people and represent around 8000 artists.
Desart (the Association of Central Australian Aboriginal Arts and Crafts Centres) is committed to supporting its member art centres. Desert Mob is its flagship annual event which is held around September at the Araluen Arts Centre in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
Desert Mob celebrates contemporary Aboriginal art from the Desart-member art centres and includes:
- on screen story telling;
- the Desert Mob Exhibition of hundreds of artworks by emerging and established artists; and
- a marketplace for ethically acquiring paintings, woodcarving, ceramics, weaving, sculpture, clothing, jewellery, textiles and homewares.
The variety of artwork to be expected at Desert Mob can be best appreciated by looking at previous years’ exhibits on the Desart website.