Tjulyuru Cultural Centre - Warburton and Outback Way

Description

Situated in the heart of the Ngaanyatjarra lands (pronounced “nar n-yat-jar-rah”) on the Great Central Road, also known as “the Outback Way”, it is 950kms northeast of Kalgoorlie and 1000kms southeast of Alice Springs near the Warburton and Laverton communities. The Tjulyuru Cultural & Civic Centre (pronounced “dool-you-roo”) is designed to offer the wider community an opportunity to engage with Ngaanyatjarra people in their own environment. Local red earth, shrubs and grasses form an organic corridor through the site. Natural elements continue inside with red sand and creek pebbles in the polished concrete floors. The vivid colours of the homelands are referenced in feature walls and furnishings.

This contemporary design includes glass artworks by local Indigenous artists installed throughout the buildings and a sculptural design with robust materials. The Tjulyuru Cultural & Civic Centre also houses the offices of the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku and facilitates local government services, employment training programs and a locally managed point of distribution for cultural artworks and crafts. The centre is a meeting place for local and regional Aboriginal people as well as offering a unique environment for the interaction of non-Aboriginal and Ngaanyatjarra people.

The partnership of the Ngaanyatjarraku Shire with the Warburton community encourages local employment and sustainable commercial ventures for the communities within the region. In this way economic development is utilised by the Ngaanyatjarra people to affirm and maintain their culture into the future. Our Art Gallery, opened in October 2000, is not just an exhibition and performance venue - it aims to be a regional centre for Ngaanyatjarra culture. The gallery welcomes you with an exhibition program based on the lifestyles, histories and vibrant stories of the Ngaanyatjarra people.

The Warta shop offers a range of products representative of work produced by Ngaanyatjarra communities. These include ceramics, wooden artefacts, art glass, paintings, fibre crafts and books on Aboriginal culture, language and history as well as limited edition prints from the internationally renowned Warburton Arts collection.

Opening hours for the Art Gallery and Warta Shop: Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm.