Ernabella Arts

Ernabella Arts describes itself as Australia’s oldest, continuously running Indigenous Art Centre tracing its history to the establishment of a craft room in the Presbyterian Mission here in 1948. The Arts Centre is in the Pukatja Community at the eastern end of the Musgrave Ranges in the far north west of South Australia.

The first products were hand-loomed woven fabrics and hand-pulled and knotted floor rugs with a unique pattern that became known as ‘the Ernabella walka’ or anapalayaku walka, “Ernabella's design”.

In more recent years, senior women have moved away from the walka to depict their Tjukurpa (sacred stories of country and law).

The centre’s inimitable reputation lies in this adaptability and innovation by artists who have been exposed to many different mediums since the craft room began.

Today the artists are a mix of young and old, men and women. There are very senior Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara men including NATSIAA winner Dickie Minyintiri. The members of Ernabella Arts are always reinvigorating their centre, seeing it through its evolution from the first incarnation as a craft room, into a culturally strong contemporary art centre.

Ernabella Arts is an Aboriginal owned and run corporation which promotes and supports ethical practice in the creation and sale of Indigenous art.

“Ernabella Arts is a place where we senior women and men and young women and men practice and develop our art, in order to sustain, support and promote our cultural heritage, and to improve the lifestyle of our community’s members”.

Below are the current artworks we have in the gallery from Ernabella Arts.