BURNT Bridge Mission is one of two new exhibitions opening on the 30 January at the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre.
According to Daisy William, the director of the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Burnt Bridge Mission is a recreation of life on the mission, stirring the artistic imagination of three disabled artists.
“This exhibition makes enquiries into contemporary aesthetic experience, and relates this to historical images to create past worlds,” she said.
“It seeks to understand the need artists have today to create immersive and expanded environments.
“It reminds us that powerful art is not divorced from the cultural conditions, political, social and climatic environments in which it is generated.”
The three Dunghutti artists Mabel Ritchie, Clem Ritchie and Johnny Knox all have a mild disability, one had polio as a child and the other two have very mild intellectual disabilities.
Ms William said Burnt Bridge Mission was an honest exhibition of their works with no egos attached.
The 29 works have been offered to the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre by Kempsey Dunghutti-Ngaku Art Gallery.
The second exhibition is a photographic exhibition of Father Ron Perrett’s ministry in Armidale.
Father Ron Perrett is a semi-retired Catholic priest who lived and worked with Aboriginal people in Armidale, Inverell, Tingha, Walcha, Tamworth and Wee Waa since 1969.
Father Perrett has worked with three generations of Aboriginal families and recorded many of his involvement in photos.
This exhibition will show babies being baptised, families going on church excursions and Sunday masses being performed.
Burnt Bridge Mission and Father Perrett’s photographic exhibitions will be on display until 22 March.
The public is invited to attend the opening on Thursday, 30 January at 6pm.
