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Ngalla Maya (Our Place)

Art Competition

North Metropolitan TAFE (NMTAFE), Jobs and Skills WA and Koolark Centre for Aboriginal Students are excited to announce the Ngalla Maya (Our Place) Aboriginal Art Competition. 

Come into the Koolark Centre at our Northbridge campus, 30 Aberdeen Street, to view your favourite pieces from existing and emerging local Aboriginal artists. 

Theme   

There are four Jobs and Skills Centres located at different NMTAFE campuses.
Each will have a more locally focused theme, though still based on the overarching theme: Ngalla Maya (Our Place). 

  • Balga           Place of the grasstree leaves
  • Joondalup  Charnok Woman Dreamtime
  • Midland      Corroborees
  • Perth           Mooro Kaarta (Kings Park)

Four centres - four chances to win $5,000 

Each of the four pieces of artwork selected by the judges will be declared the winners.

NMTAFE will acquire the four winning artworks and all associated rights for $5,000. 

The winners will be announced in November and winners and runners up will have the opportunity to display (and sell) their artwork at Gallery Central’s 2023 opening exhibition from 30 January to 18 February 2023.

About Ngalla Maya

Artworks will be submitted via delivery to Koolark and will be on display at Koolark for public viewing and voting from 17-21 October.

Artworks will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Artwork tells a clear visual story, reflecting the theme Ngalla Maya (Our Place) with reference to either: Balga, Joondalup, Midland, or Perth JSCs
  • Artwork is creative and unique.
  • The written submission complements your visual work and corresponds with the brief.
  • Skill and technique. 

The general public will be invited to view and vote for their favourite artwork. NMTAFE will appoint an independent panel of judges to verify the public vote and select the winning entries for each JSC. 

Winners will be announced in November and all entrants will have the opportunity to display (and sell) their artwork at Gallery Central’s 2023 opening exhibition (30 January – 18 February 2023).

NMTAFE and the Jobs and Skills Centres will launch an art show at Gallery Central.

Winners of the competition will be exhibited as part of the show. All successful entrants will be invited to exhibit at the show. 

No artwork may be removed before the end of the exhibition. 

Your artwork can be collected after 18 February.   

The four successful artwork pieces will be proudly displayed in our Jobs and Skills Centres at our campuses in Perth, Balga, Joondalup and Midland.  

By nominating for the award, the artist agrees to allow NMTAFE to: 

  • Reproduce, publish and display entries, in full or in part, for use in any promotional materials and publications, including promotions of NMTAFE’s future Art Awards.