BROTHERS Phillip and Rodney McIntosh will be showing their works this month at an art exhibition entitled Goomeroi Art at the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place.
Phillip and Rodney were born in Toomelah and Goondiwindi respectively and raised on a small reserve on the banks of the McIntyre River, North West of NSW.
They started painting at an early age and were inspired by stories told to them by their mother and grandmother. Fishing trips became a telling of stories while waiting for the fish to bite. These told of a simple way of life with a complex understanding of respecting Mother Earth.
One of Phillip’s paintings entitled Buddlemada is a spiritual story of a leader who had spiritual powers of a ‘wunderdah’ (a ghost) and was revered by his tribe. Other works depict fresh water species in the area where they grew up.
Rodney continues to paint while working full time with Aboriginal Health in Tenterfield, while Phillip is a professional artist.
Goomeroi Art will be opened on Thursday, 25 July at 6pm by Paul Akon, Law Lecturer and Senior Solicitor at UNE and Supreme Court of NSW. Paul is a member of the ACCKP Management Committee.
Other members of the committee are Dr Brian Connor, Eileen Sanders, Greg Strong, Lorna Hague, David Henderson and Nigel Wratten. David Henderson, the CEO of the Armidale and District Business Enterprise Centre is also the committee chair while Nigel Wratten leads the Friends of the ACCKP group.
Dr Brian Connor is also a member of the ACCKP Management Committee will open the artefact exhibition entitled Emu Eggs and Boab Nuts (painted and carved).
On display will be a variety of these artefacts from the ACCKP collection. Emu Eggs and Boab Nuts (painted and carved) is curated by Jill Ahoy.
A photographic exhibition called Little Koori Achievers will be opened by ACCKP Management Committee member Mrs Eileen Sanders, the former principal of Armidale City Public School who is also the Secretary of the ACCKP Management Committee. This exhibition will depict photos of Aboriginal children in local primary schools doing sport, extracurricular activities or class work. It celebrates education and the avenues that going to school provide children. Little Koori Achievers recognises local Aboriginal children’s involvement in school life and in a way, encouraging them to do well.
The public is invited to attend the opening of these three exciting exhibitions next Thursday 6pm.
The evening will begin with a Welcome to Country by Lorna Hague, deputy chairperson of the ACCKP Board of Custodians who also sits on the management committee.
