Joint Winner

Logan Art Gallery, Logan City Council
lesu ra mir giz (From the beginning) ge omaida (when the Gospel came) Mer ge baziarda (it took root in Erub) igiare Torres Strait (and branched out to the whole of the Torres Strait)

This remarkable exhibition was curated by local Torres Strait Islander artist, Sylvia Nakachi, and developed in partnership with Logan Art Gallery, who had the unique opportunity to mentor a local artist to curate her first exhibition, while at the same time sharing her extraordinary knowledge and insight into Torres Strait Islander history and culture with residents and visitors to Logan.

The Gallery consulted and worked together with Sylvia and Indigenous Elder, Uncle Barry Watson, over a six-month period to coordinate a Family Fun Day event, which showcased Torres Strait Islander arts and culture. This event employed over 70 Torres Strait Islander artists and community members, and provided a valuable opportunity for the wider community of Logan to engage with Torres Strait Islander culture. 

This exhibition project is included in a documentary ‘Our Stories’ on NITV and SBS. Tamara Whyte, film director and producer of Nandeebie Films, documented Sylvia’s process of creating work and developing the exhibition. The documentary focuses on Sylvia’s role as a First Nations woman communicating her culture to the diverse communities in the City of Logan. This is a tremendous outcome for the project and allows Sylvia’s story to be told to a national audience.

This project and the support of Logan Art Gallery has given Sylvia the confidence to apply for The Macquarie Group First Nations Emerging Curator Award for 2017.