Wetland Arts Activities in Kakadu National Park
The WetlandCare Australia National Art and Photography Competition is still open for entries! We have recently heard from Anne O’Dea, a ranger in Kakadu National Park, about local community members getting together during the recent school holidays to make artworks at a culture camp for local Indigenous people.
Following is an excerpt from an email Anne sent to WetlandCare Australia about the camp.
There were a couple of old men artists there and some kids who painted some entries. If it wasn’t for these people’s strong connection to wetlands and their country in general, Kakadu would not be the cultural landscape that people come here to experience. At this camp, sausages sat in the camp fridge untouched as the amount of bush tucker was impressive to say the least. One lady was heard to joke as she sat surrounded by file snake, magpie geese, crocodile meat and fish, “I just don’t know what to eat!” There was one 12 year old boy who did not take time to paint because he was so busy catching fish. He actually caught a freshwater croc on a hand line with a hook. Everybody was really proud. Kakadu National Park staff run camps like this to assist in the passing on of traditional skills from one generation to the next. The competition is a great avenue for that.
Artists of all ages from the Kakadu area have been entering the competition since it began in 2008, and often win significant prizes for their paintings. Anne said ‘I have to say that I’m personally proud of the Kakadu track record’.
Entries are open until December 2, so there is still plenty of time to get out to your local wetlands and waterways and tell a story through art and photography.
Entry forms and more information can be found by clicking here
Ashlee Christophersen ‘Love of the Waterlilies’ Merit Award Youth Art 2009