The annual NAIDOC Community Art Exhibition opened to the public today. Running until 23 August at Community Services #1 Gallery in Narrabundah, it showcases the talents of First Nations artists in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC), Canberra’s prison.

The exhibition features around 30 artworks, primarily traditional paintings, said to reflect a rich tapestry of cultural stories and personal experiences. All artwork is for sale; proceeds go directly to the artists’ trust accounts to help them rehabilitate and reintegrate back into the community.

The AMC has a dedicated art space with easels, canvasses, craft wood and wooden artifacts for painting or carving.

This year, 12 people in AMC have been enrolled in the Cultural Arts Program, which has three two-hour classes per week. Classes are led by detainees experienced in art and by mentors from Gugan Gulwan, a Wanniassa-based Aboriginal Youth Centre.

“The NAIDOC Community Art Exhibition is not just a display of beautiful artwork; it’s a window into the hearts and minds of the talented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists at the AMC,” ACT Corrective Services Commissioner Bruno Aloisi said.

“For many detainees, initiatives such as the Cultural Arts Program allow them to cultivate new talents and even identities based on their artistic pursuits. Most importantly, it also provides for rehabilitative and developmental pathways are culturally grounded and meaningful.”

“This year’s exhibition includes a wide variety of artistic genres that all share a common thread in celebrating the detainees’ connection to their culture,” Zuzette, AMC Aboriginal Liaison Officer and exhibition coordinator, said.

“Art has given each of these detainees a powerful means of self-expression, cultural connection and personal growth. Some of detainees are already accomplished artists, while others have just begun their journey.”

Mathew, a Barngala man, is one of the AMC artists whose work will be displayed at the exhibition. He said art grounds him and maintains his cultural connection as a descendant of the ‘Traditional Owners’ of the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia.

“I try to create artworks that reflect aspects of my family members,” Mathew said. “This keeps me feeling close to them whilst I am in the AMC. I feel proud to have my artwork featured in the exhibition.”

Mathew’s art has previously been purchased by the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, and features in the ACT Corrective Services ‘Be the Change We Seek: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Offender Framework’ strategic document.

“I was proud to see my artwork and acknowledgement of it in this publication,” Mathew said. “I am always looking at other options to showcase my art.”

Emma Davidson, ACT Minister for Corrections and Justice Health, said the AMC NAIDOC art exhibition nurtures cultural connection, resilience, and rehabilitation of First Nations people in the criminal justice system.

“The AMC art exhibition recognises the unique talents people in our criminal justice system and nurtures this passion to create something that is meaningful to them,” Ms Davidson said. “It creates a sense of pride, achievement and belonging to the broader Canberra community.

“Celebrating the unique skills of people in AMC and providing them the avenues to pursue their interests and set them on the best trajectory for life back in the community – strengthening opportunities to excel in social connection, employment and education.”