Bonnie Harper-Starick’s Reflections…

In 2017, I completed a Bachelor of Contemporary Arts majoring in Visual Arts and minoring in Art Theory at the University of Tasmania. I believe art is a great way to connect with people and I’ve always been passionate about art because of this. My favourite mediums are painting, printing and ceramics. I have always been motivated to want to help other people, art school was never so much about my own practice, I wanted to absorb as much knowledge as I could to help other artists.

I was first invited to exhibit and travel to the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) by Tony Brown in 2018. Tony at the time acknowledged my printing and was eager to see me develop more of my work for DAAF. There were 7 of us that travelled to DAAF in 2018.  The stall was quite small, and there was a lot of pieces of art. I helped curate the space, updated the point of sale system with all of the art works and conducted most of the sales that year.

After a very successful 2018, I was again invited to curate the Tasmanian stall at DAAF 2019 as well as exhibit. This time we had a double stall and again I curated the space, updated the point of sale system and conducted most of the sales. This particular year presented new experiences including participating in a short interview with NITV, assisting Auntie Verna Nichols to prepare for an artist panel talk, and co-facilitating a small group of workshops in echidna quill jewellery making.

In 2020, the global pandemic hit. It was a time of uncertainty and no one predicted the crisis that was about to unfold. The 2020 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair was cancelled and I know this bought about a great disappointment to all who have ever been involved with the fair. Later in the year, the DAAF committee announced they would be providing an online space to sell and promote Aboriginal art.

This seen our approach to attending DAAF change dramatically. Walantanalinany Palingina, in partnership with Nayri Niara, Karadi Aboriginal Corporation & Contemporary Art Tasmania developed and facilitated an exhibition and online sales project in line with the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. The exhibition, Chosen – Lakapawa, was exhibited at the LongHouse and involved 4 Elders and 20 chosen artists. It was a significant event having the most Tasmanian Aboriginal artists ever in a group exhibition in Tasmania. With this new approach came the opportunity for further development in online curating, sales and event management. It was a complex process and although overwhelming at times, the 2020 DAAF online and Chosen - Lakapawa exhibition was a success. Most of the work sold, and there were multiple commissions for new work for the exhibiting artists from visitors and purchasers at the exhibition.

Being involved in the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair over the past three years has given me the opportunity to show and expand on my skills in curating, arts administration and producing. Each year I’ve been to DAAF I’ve learnt a little bit more… From the stalls and taking notice how they were curated to connecting and learning from many amazing curators and arts administrators from all over Australia. I went to DAAF with an existing skillset in administration but these experiences have equipped me with a high level of initiative which has enabled me to learn by observation and from the lived experience of curating the Walantanalinany Palingina stall.

It’s the highlight of my year now.  I meet new people every year. They are so kind and helpful, no judgement and incredibly welcoming. From the first day of bump in, there is a huge welcome ceremony, they just want to support you. At the first night celebration you meet lots of important people from politicians, senior Elders and knowledge keepers and heads of arts organisation. My favourite DAAF experience is the Country to Couture and my goal is to have a range of clothing one day soon in this First Nations fashion showcase.

There are a few favourite stalls that I visit each year that inspire me and inspire ideas for new work. It feels wonderful to buy from emerging artists, speak to them directly and learn about their work. I plan to continue my involvement in DAAF and want to get more experience in producing and build a reputation as an arts and cultural producer. My dream career is to be a cultural & visual arts producer – run a workshop and exhibition space where I can help others with mentorship and produce my own work. I love doing art and wish I could do it everyday.

My confidence has expanded throughout these experiences facilitated by Walantanalinany Palingina. I have taken every opportunity to network, meet new people, forge new connections and learn as much as I could from those around me.