Acknowledgement of Country

Dharug

Bayadyinyang budyari Dharug yiyura Dharug Ngurra.
Bayady’u budyari Dharug Warunggadgu baranyiin barribugu.
Bayady’u budyari wagulgu yiyuragu Ngurra bimalgu Blacktown City. Flannel flowers dyurali bulbuwul.
Yanmannyang mudayi Dharug Ngurrawa. Walama ngyini budbud dali Dharug Ngurra Dharug yiyura baranyiin barribugu.

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English

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this Land, the Dharug people, and their continued connection to Country.
We pay our respects to Elders from yesterday to tomorrow.
We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of Blacktown City where the flannel flowers still grow proud and strong.
We will walk softly on this land and open our hearts to Country as the Dharug people have for tens of thousands of years.

Credit to: Dharug woman Rhiannon Wright, daughter of Leanne ‘Mulgo’ Watson Redpath and granddaughter of Aunty Edna Watson

Meet the 2021 Blacktown City Art Prize Judges

We’re thrilled to announce the judges for the 2021 Blacktown City Art Prize. This year, we welcome Pedro de Almeida Senior Curator, C3West at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Dr Fan Dongwang Chinese born Australian artist and Leanne Mulgo Watson  artist, educator and book illustrator to our judging panel.

Learn more about them below.

Pedro de Almeida is Senior Curator, C3West at Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. He has produced artistic and cultural programs that have been distinguished by their emphasis on commissioning new work and engaging culturally and socially diverse artists, communities and audiences. He has held senior program positions at 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (2012–2019) and Campbelltown Arts Centre (2008–2011), with a focus on a multidisciplinary programs and socially engaged practices. In addition, he has curated exhibitions and produced programs for the Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney Living Museums and Sydney Olympic Park.

Dr. Fan Dongwang graduated from Shanghai School of Arts and Crafts following comprehensive training in traditional Chinese art forms. He obtained a Master of Art at COFA, (now UNSW Art and Design) and also a Doctor of Creative Art at Wollongong University. He has been awarded the Mosman Art Prize, Festival of Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Liverpool City Art Prize, Willoughby City Art Prize, Ian Potter Cultural Trust Grant, and the Art on The Rocks Prize. Fan also designed two large Dog lanterns as part of City of Sydney’s Lunar New Year Lantern Exhibition in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

Leanne Mulgo Watson is a Darug artist-educator based in Blacktown who has illustrated children’s books including Cooee Mittigar and contributed to Young Dark Emu. Leanne is the daughter of Aunty Edna Watson. She has been a director of the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation for many years. Cooee Mittigar is her first book. She says “I had always wanted to create books to share our knowledge, as education is the key to our culture staying strong”.

I’m an Artist

I’m an Artist

Blacktown Arts supports artists through annual opportunities across prizes, exhibitions, funding opportunities, and studio spaces for local creatives.

Learn MoreI’m an Artist
Blacktown City Art Prize

Blacktown City Art Prize

Blacktown City’s annual acquisitive art prize open to artists across Australia, with a prize pool of over $23,500.

Learn MoreBlacktown City Art Prize

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