NAIDOC Blak Markets

The iconic Blak Markets will return to Sydney's spectacular harbour headland park, Barangaroo Reserve to host a special Aboriginal art market on Sunday, 2 July at 11am-5pm.

Taking place at the beginning of NAIDOC Week, the family-friendly event will be a vibrant celebration of Australia's rich Aboriginal culture.

Aboriginal artists from 11 remote Australian arts centres will bring their artworks, sculptures, textiles and accessories to Sydney to exhibit and sell at the market; host Tjanpi weaving workshops; and demonstrations of Rarrk painting and pandanus weaving.

First Hand Solutions, Curator, Lyndsay Urquhart said: 'This is an exciting first for the Blak Markets and a rare opportunity for Sydneysiders to buy high quality Aboriginal art directly from a diverse range of artists from remote art centres across Australia.

'We are thrilled to create the opportunity for visitors to meet these talented artists and browse a beautiful selection of their work, with a mix of price points to suit a range of budgets," said Urquhart.

Artists will travel to Sydney from art centres including:
APY Art Centre Collective (Amata, SA)
Artists of Ampilatwatja (Ampilatwatja, NT)
Babbarra Women's Centre (Maningrida, NT)
Bula'bula Arts (Ramingining, NT)
Martumili Artists (Newman, WA)
Mimi Aboriginal Arts and Crafts (Katherine, NT)
Mangkaja Arts Resource Agency (Fitzroy Crossing, WA)
Rukaji Designs (Fitzroy Crossing, WA)
Tangentyere Artists (Alice Springs, NT)
Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation (Yuendumu, NT)
Yarrenyty Arltere Artists (Alice Springs, NT)

The artists are coming to Sydney as part of the 'Heart in Art" program, which is made possible by the Barangaroo Delivery Authority and First Hand Solutions to provide economic and professional development opportunities to Aboriginal artists working in remote communities around Australia.

Barangaroo Delivery Authority, Executive Director, Activation and Precinct Management, Sandra Bender, said: 'We're delighted to bring Aboriginal artists from remote areas of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia together at Barangaroo, alongside local Aboriginal artists to showcase and sell their work and join a special NAIDOC Week celebration."

The lively open-air market will also feature more than 30 stalls, bush tucker cooking demonstrations by Indigiearth and Jody Orcher; live music by Jessie Lloyd and Emma Donovan, Jarjum, and Freshwater; Aboriginal dance performances by Thikkabilla (Dubbo), Yadhamayi (Central Coast), and Wagana (Greater Sydney); language and culture workshops; Aboriginal Cultural Tours of Barangaroo Reserve; and a Tribal Warrior Tour to Goat Island.

The Blak Markets is organised by First Hand Solutions, which is an Aboriginal social enterprise dedicated to providing hands-on solutions to issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.