PUBLIC PROGRAMS + SATELLITE EVENTS
Keanu Nelson performing at the Desert Mob 2024 Official Opening. Photo by Sara Maiorino
Araluen Arts Centre PRECINCT +
venueS across MPARNTWE
Discover the story behind the art through Desert Mob’s expanded program of events. Complementing the 2025 exhibition, Desert Mob invites you to meet the artists, hear their stories and join them on Country for a set of experiences like no other.
PAST EVENTS
Desert Mob After Dark
Art, curator talks, food + music
TICKETED
Wednesday 25 September – SOLD OUT
Wednesday 16 October – SOLD OUT
Yaye’s Cafe, Araluen Cultural Precinct
“Food is a great way of introducing country to people.” – Rayleen Brown
Desert Mob After Dark is two intimate evenings of art, food and music on the Araluen Cultural Precinct to celebrate Desert Mob 2024. The Araluen Galleries will open after hours for an exclusive viewing of the Desert Mob 2024 exhibition and talk by Desert Mob Curators Hetti Perkins and Aspen Beattie.
Following, savour a delicious alfresco meal incorporating bush foods designed, prepared and presented by Kungkas Can Cook co-founder Rayleen Brown, in collaboration with our friends at Yaye’s Cafe. Rayleen has a vast knowledge of bush foods and flavours from Central Australia and a passion for sharing them.
After Dark will also present incredible music performances from First Nations artists. Stay tuned!
Images: Desert Mob After Dark 2023, curator floortalk, food and wine, and performance by Casii Williams.
All photos by Ivan Trigo Miras.
OFFICIAL OPENING
ARALUEN ART CENTRE
GALLERIES + PRECINCT
Thursday 5 September, from 5PM
Free Event
Join us for the launch of Desert Mob 2024 on Thursday, 5th September at Araluen Arts Centre, Mparntwe / Alice Springs. The Exhibition Preview will take place from 5pm, offering an opportunity to view and purchase works by hundreds of artists.
At 6pm the Official Opening commences with a Welcome to Country, opening address, guest speakers and music.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Maruku Arts, Desert Mob 2024 will be officially opened by artist and community advocate Rene Kulitja. Rene is a current director and previous chair of Maruku Arts and a founding director of Walkatjara Art. Her work as an artist includes working with Tjanpi Desert Weavers and she represented the group at the Venice Biennale in 2015. She is a member of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Joint Management, the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantatjara Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council Executive, and the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir.
The opening night of Desert Mob 2024 brings a rare chance to experience the soulful sounds of Keanu Nelson Tjakamarra. A Luritja singer songwriter who lives in Papunya, Keanu is also a painter and arts worker with Papunya Tjupi Arts. Keanu grew up with the sounds of gospel and desert reggae which heavily resonates with his songs. In 2022, with collaborator Yuta Matsumura, Keanu released the album Wilurarrakutu which gained acclaim for the unique collaboration of Keanu’s themes of longing for country set to a backdrop of Casio keyboard (influenced by the gospel sound) and dub productions.
Images:
1. Rene Kulitja at the opening of Desert Mob 2018. Photo by Rhett Hammerton.
2. Keanu Nelson Tjakamarra. Photo by Yuta Matsumura.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
ARALUEN CULTURAL PRECINCT
Saturday 7 September
Free + Ticketed Events
Sgraffito Demonstration
With Ernabella Arts
FREE EVENT
Saturday 7 September, 10:30AM – 12:30PM
Central Craft Studio
After an amazing response at Desert Mob 2023, artists of Ernabella Arts return to once again mesmerise us with their time-honoured sgraffito technique during a live ceramics demonstration. Ernabella Arts has a distinguished history as Australia’s longest running Aboriginal art centre and the art centre’s renowned ceramic studio was established just over two decades ago. This event offers a rare chance to talk with artists, as each depicts their Tjukurpa and connection to country and culture using sgraffito.
Image: Lynette Lewis in the Ernabella Arts ceramic studio. Courtesy of the artist and Ernabella Arts
Arrernte Ayiye (Arrernte Yarns)
With Kumalie Kngwarraye Riley
FREE EVENT – TICKETED
Saturday 7 September, 11AM – 12PM
Araluen Cultural Precinct
Kumalie Kngwarraye Riley is an Arrernte Elder and artist, interpreter, lecturer and author. During this special one-hour conversation and wander through the Araluen gardens during Marketplace, Kumalie will share her knowledge of bush foods and medicines, stories of Mparntwe and the significance of the country where Desert Mob takes place. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn a few words of Arrernte.
This event is free but with strictly limited places. Bookings essential.
Image: Kumalie Kngwarraye Riley. Courtesy the artist and Parrtjima.
Soft sculpture Workshop
with Yarrenyty Arltere Artists
FREE EVENT
Saturday 7 September, 11AM – 1PM
Araluen Arts Centre Foyer
Materials provided but limited
Returning by popular demand! Yarrenyty Arltere Artists are upcycling alchemists, transforming simple materials into extraordinary soft sculptures that are at once whimsical and celebratory, engaging and educative. This workshop offers an opportunity to create birds and other shapes from the natural environment, sitting with and learning from acclaimed artists who live and work in Mparntwe / Alice Springs and sew with creativity and joy on country.
Image: Participants at the Desert Mob 2023 soft sculpture workshop with Yarrenyty Arltere Artists. Photo by Rhett Hammerton
Ceramics WORKSHOP
With Hermannsburg Potters
TICKETED
Saturday 7 September, 11:30AM – 1:30PM +
Sunday 8 September, 10AM – 12PM
Central Craft Studio, Araluen Cultural Precinct
All materials provided
Desert Mob presents a rare chance to join Hayley Panangka Coulthard, Beth Mbitjana Inkamala and Alizha Panangka Coulthard, of the Hermannsburg Potters collective, for a two-day ceramics workshop.
The Hermannsburg Potters are renowned for creating vibrant
handmade ceramic pots that encompass collective and individually lived histories in their country.
Over two sessions, you will learn the processes involved in creating their iconic hand-crafted pots. On day one you’ll make your own pot and (after it dries overnight) return on day two to decorate it.
Experience stories of country, culture and community – and create your own story in clay.
Images:
1. Rona Rubuntja in the studio. Photo by Dimity Cole. Courtesy the artist and Hermannsburg Potters.
2. Anita Mbitjana Ratara, Pmurlangkinya, 2024, terracotta and underglazes, 35.5 x 20 x 20 cm.
Photo by Fiona Morrison.
Watercolour
Painting Workshop
With Iltja Ntjarra
(Many Hands) Art Centre
TICKETED
Saturday 7 September, 2PM – 4PM
Central Craft Studio
All materials provided
Join Iltja Ntjarra artists Mervyn Rubuntja, Jonathon Price, Carita Coulthard and curator Marisa Maher for an intimate watercolour painting workshop. Experience, learn and practice your technique with the guidance of painters and descendants of revered artist Albert Namatjira – and take home your own watercolour painting!
Image: Mervyn Rubuntja at work. Courtesy the artist and Iltja Ntjarra Many Hands Art Centre
Sunday Studios Tour:
Ltyentye Apurte Traditional Craft Centre + Keringke Arts
TICKETED
Sunday 8 September, 12PM – 6PM
Tour departs from Araluen Arts Centre
Spend an afternoon with Eastern Arrernte artists and community members of Lytentye Apurte / Santa Teresa. After just over an hour’s drive southwest of Mparntwe through stunning country, with a packed lunch supplied, be welcomed by artists from Ltyentye Apurte Traditional Craft Centre and learn about the trees they select to carve their artworks. Enjoy a demonstration of the artists’ carving skills and a visit to the Keringke Arts art centre and gallery. There’ll be time to purchase works and visit the local Spirituality Centre and Catholic Church to see the historic murals painted by artists from the community over 20 years ago.
Image:
1. Darren Hayes, Stefan Smith, Dean Oliver and Clinton Oliver at Ltyentye Apurte Traditional Craft Centre. Courtesy of the artists and Ltyentye Apurte Traditional Craft Centre.
2. June Smith at Keringke Arts. Courtesy the artist and Keringke Arts
3. Eastern Arrernte Country at Ltyentye Apurte. Video still. Video by Rhett Hammerton.
PAST SATELLITE EVENTS
Irrititja palulanguru kuwarritja -
from the past, to today
Papunya Tula Artists
Exhibition Dates: 6 – 23 September
Papunya Tula Artists: 63 Todd Mall, Mparntwe
Papunya Tula Artists present their much-anticipated annual exhibition, Irriṯitja palulanguru kuwarritja – From the past, to today. This year’s offering showcases a curated selection of the best new works by Papunya Tula’s emerging and senior artists from the Walungurru (Kintore) and Kiwirrkura communities. As well as presenting the very best contemporary works, the exhibition pays tribute to some of the company’s past renowned artists, with an exclusive selection of never-before-seen archival works available to view and purchase.
Image: Install shot from Papunya Tula Artists 2023 annual exhibition, ‘Kutjungkarrinyi – Gathering Together’.
Photo courtesy of Michael Irvine. Artworks (L-R) by Nyilyari Tjapangati, Raymond Maxwell Tjampitjinpa.
Palyani
Purple House
Opening: Wednesday 4 September, 12pm – 2PM
Exhibition Dates: 4 – 11 September
Purple House: 15 Lindsay Ave, East Side
Palyani (making) is an exhibition of ceramics by Purple House patients, including work by Julie Gordon, Selina Bob, Magda Curtis and Maureen Purvis. For more than three years this group of artists has met weekly as part of a creative wellbeing program, making ceramics at Charles Darwin University’s Mparntwe / Alice Springs campus. The exhibition also showcases selected works by much loved past members of the ceramics group who have now passed away, and whose work continues to influence the group and Purple House.
We talk to each other, helping each other. That’s why we are happy, working together…Selina Bob
Image: Artwork by Magda Curtis. Courtesy the artist and Purple House.
Thathaka - Red
Tangentyere Artists +
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists
Exhibition dates: 5 – 20 September
Tangentyere Artists: 16 Fogarty St, Ciccone
Thathaka – Red is an exhibition by Mparntwe-based art centres, Tangentyere Artists and Yarrenyty Arltere Artists, celebrating the colour red and its significance to Central Australia.
Fire burning the red one – ranges and sand hill, ochre you know? Desert people need red, the colours of the desert. Mara inthurra! – Marjorie Williams
Image: Sally M Nangala Mulda, One Woman (detail) 2024, acrylic on linen, 61 x 91 cm. Courtesy the artist and Tangentyere Artists.
Lingka: Simon Hogan +
Ngayuku Tjukurpa,
Wati Ngintaka (My Story, Perentie Lizard Man)
Reggie Uluru
8 Hele Gallery
Exhibition Dates: 7 – 28 September
8 Hele Gallery: 8 Hele Crescent, Ciccone
The exhibitions Lingka: Simon Hogan and Ngayuku Tjukurpa, Wati Ngintaka (My Story, Perentie Lizard Man) by Reggie Uluru trace their storied lives as senior law men. Lingka is the first solo exhibition by Simon Hogan, a senior holder of Spinifex Country. Reggie Uluru is a Traditional Owner of Uluru and renowned for his paintings that celebrate the Wati Ngintaka. Presented in collaboration with Spinifex Arts Project and Walkatjara Arts.
Images:
Simon Hogan, Lingka (detail), 2023, acrylic on linen, 230 x 200 cm.
Reggie Uluru, Wati Ngintaka (Perentie Lizard Man) & Kuniya (Woma Python Woman) (detail), 2024, acrylic on canvas, 105 x 107cm. Images courtesy the artists, Spinifex Arts Project, Walkatjara Art, & 8 Hele Gallery.
Bindi Magic 2024
Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists
Exhibition Dates: 8 September – 13 October
Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists: 47 Elder St, Ciccione
Bindi Magic is an annual exhibition showcasing the art of the Bindi Mwerre Anthurre artists. The studio was established in 2000 by Aboriginal artists living with disabilities. Bindi Mwerre Anthurre art portrays the essence, beauty, and humour of Central Australia. Each artwork reflects the life and surrounds of the region as seen, known, and loved by the artists.
To be officially opened by Kelli Cole.
Image: Conway Ginger, Vinny and Aaron, Talking Story, Standing (detail), 2024, acrylic wash and ink pen on paper. Courtesy the artist and Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists.
Yuupurnju:
A Warlpiri song cycle
Book launch
Launch: Saturday 7 September, 2:30PM
Red Kangaroo Books: 45 Todd Mall, Mparntwe
Yuupurnju: A Warlpiri song cycle, by Henry Cooke Anderson Jakamarra, with Jerry Patrick Jangala, Steven Dixon Japanangka, Wanta Steven Patrick Pawu-Kurlpurlurnu Jampijinpa, Carmel O’Shannessy and Myfany Turpin, documents
a ceremonial song cycle as sung by Warlpiri Elder Henry Cooke Anderson Jakamarra at Lajamanu, NT, in 2013.
The song cycle relates to a women’s Jukurrpa Dreaming narrative, as a group
of ancestral women journey across the country. The book presents the verses
and explains their meanings, and provides QR codes for the audio of each.
Join Warlpiri elder Robin Japanangka Granites, Myfany Turpin, Carmel O’Shannessy and special guests for the offical launch of this important publication.
Image: Cover of Yuupurnju: A Warlpiri song cycle, featuring the work Women’s Dreaming, 2024, by Judy Nampiya Martin Napangardi.
Portals -
Transformative Encounters
STICK MOB STUDIO
Red Hot Arts Project
@ Watch this space ARI
Exhibition Opening: Friday 20 September, 6pm – 8pm
Stick Mob In Conversation: Saturday 28 September, 10am-12pm
Watch This Space: 8 Gap Road, The Gap
Immerse yourself in Portals, an evocative exhibition by Stick Mob creatives Seraphina Newberry, Alyssa Mason, Wendy Cowan, and Declan Miller. This exhibition celebrates the transformative power of collaborative storytelling.
Image: Stickmob Studio 2022
First Forms
Arlpwe Art & Culture Centre
Exhibition Dates: 6 – 15 September
Central Craft: Araluen Cultural Precinct
First Forms celebrates the recent opening of the Arlpwe ceramics studio with an exhibition of new ceramic works and paintings at Central Craft. The ceramics program in Alekarenge / Ali Curung is artist-led, encompassing a broad range of making and decorating skills. First Forms captures the excitement this creative journey has brought to the art centre, offering a new avenue for storytelling, sharing culture and personal expression. With plans to utilise ceramics to engage the whole community, this exhibition marks the beginning of an exciting new artistic venture.
Image: Benjamin Barnes Kamara, Red Basket, 2024. Courtesy the artist and Arlpwe Art & Culture Centre
My Place
Yipirinya School
student exhibition
Exhibition Opens: Saturday 7 – Sunday 8 September, 10AM – 2PM
Central Craft: Araluen Cultural Precinct
In My Place, Yipirinya School students from Central Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja and Western Aranda language groups, aged four to seventeen years old, visually explore stories of family and home. These dynamic artworks combine traditional and contemporary approaches. They burst with colour, energy and passion and locate the art students’ place in the world, their self-identity and their links to community.
Image: Works by students of Yipirinya School
