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Local Artist Celebrates Indigenous HeritageLocal Indigenous artist, Patrice Mahoney, of Wonthaggi, will be displaying her work at an Indigenous Art Exhibition to be held at the Coalfields Art Gallery between 2 and 30 July. By Bass Coast Shire Council - 27th June 2006 - Back to News The exhibition, also featuring work by Joann Honeysett-Uzoh, is part of the free NAIDOC Week celebrations to be held in Wonthaggi from 2 to 9 July.
"The theme of NAIDOC Week 2006 is ‘Respect the past and believe in the future’," said Ms Mahoney.
"To me, this means that by meeting the Indigenous people in our communities, talking to each other about our different cultures and having some fun together we can make a better future for everyone."
The exhibition opens at the Coalfields Art Gallery at 2pm on Sunday, 2 July.
The Bass Coast/South Gippsland Reconciliation Group and Bass Coast Shire Council have also organised a series of all ages NAIDOC Week activities at the Gallery on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 July.
Council’s Community Development Coordinator, Nadine Cranenburgh, said activities included face painting, didgeridoo painting, cross-cultural talks by indigenous speakers, as well as a free barbeque lunch cooked by the Wonthaggi Lions Club on Wednesday.
"NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’.
"This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has become the name of the week itself," informed Ms Cranenburgh.
For more information on any of the above events contact Nadine Cranenburgh at Bass Coast Shire Council on 5671 2211 or 5951 3311. Photograph (see attached): Artist Patrice Mahoney & Janice Orchard from Coalfields Art Gallery with one of the paintings from the exhibition.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com

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