NAIDOC Week 2014 - on the Sunshine Coast

The National NAIDOC theme for 2014 is:

Last Friday night I attended the awards night for The Nandjimadji Art Exhibition at Novotel Twin Waters Resort. It was a special occasion for me as my good friend Nuuna's (who no longer travels on this plane) two daughters were presenting the inaugural 'Nuuna' award to the winning artist. Jill and Renee did a great job and their mum would have been as equally impressed with Josh Lennox's winning works titled Home Among The Stars.

The award winning Home Among the Stars (a 3D Artwork)

Twin Waters also by Josh Lennox

The Nandjimadji Art Group is a Suncare Community Services initiative that seeks to address the issues of social isolation and the lack of culturally safe environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Nandjimadji (Gubbi Gubbi for to lighten the load) Art Group provides a circle where ATSI people with a disability can come together on a weekly basis and meet culturally, share stories and build resilience through art and yarning. 

(For further information on Nandjimadji contact Paul Calcott on 07 5436 3900 or info@suncare.org.au )

This piece was also in 3D but I couldn't get it to work through my camera.

Robyn Lennox with her artwork Creating
(And the colours are way more vivid than this photo)

The art exhibition finishes at Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Ocean Drive, Twin Waters on Tuesday 15th July and there is still some beautiful original artwork for sale.

Welcome to country

Today I attended the opening of the NAIDOC celebrations at Cotton Tree. It looked like it would be a great day celebrated in perfect Sunshine Coast winter weather of clear blue skies and 21 degrees celsius but unfortunately I couldn't hang around. The Murri Idol and didge competition sounded like it would be a real hoot. 

Congratulations to all the organisers of this great celebration and the recognition that has now been given to the ATSI men and women who have served in the Australian armed forces over the last one hundred and twenty years.

Paul Calcott's original works depicting the Sunshine Coast now hanging permanently in Twin Waters Resort foyer