Aboriginal exhibition at Killcare

Ten Aboriginal young people got to experience life as professional artists when they exhibited artwork at the Bouddi Art Gallery in Killcare recently.

The exhibition was part of Youth Connection's Koori Connect program that engages Aboriginal young people in a range of cultural activities and events to improve community connection, school retention and providing vocational learning opportunities.

The young artists were involved in painting two large murals over a six-week combined community art-making project entitled Mundoe Gudjagang: Footprints of Youth, and was funded by Australia Post.

Central Coast Community College, Gibalee of the Wollotuka Institute, Youth Connections and PCYC partnered with Aboriginal elder and artist Mr Kevin Duncan for the project.

Mr Duncan put forward the dreamtime story of the Angophora tree as the subject matter for the artworks and to target young Aboriginal men.

Mr Duncan said the Darkinjung story is about the birth of the Angophora and tells of a group of young Aboriginal warriors who took the law into their own hands and were lured into a village by Baerami, the great creator, and speared as punishment.

Then Baerami dislocated their bodies and planted them into the ground.

From these bones grew the bent and crooked Angophora tree, forever encasing the limbs and faces of the warriors.

Mr Duncan said he chose the story because of its relevance to the group of young Aboriginal boys involved.

"It's a reminder to all young men not to ignore the law and to learn how to treat one another well," Mr Duncan said.

Central Coast Community College project initiator Ms Bronwyn Hall said key outcomes of the project included a chance for students to explore Aboriginal culture and how it relates to the environment while exposing them to other education options.

"We wanted to give them a taste of what life on campus might be like," Ms Hall said.

"So far two of the boys involved have jobs, two more are enrolled in alternative education to attain their Year 9 equivalent and three have improved their school performance levels dramatically.

"After being exhibited at Killcare, the artworks will be permanently hung in the foyer at Central Coast Community College."

Website, 19 May 2010 Youth Connections