It’s the closest thing in Central Australia to a celebrity event. The windows are covered in brown paper, the doors are locked and there’s been a line up since 7am this morning.
On deckchairs with black rimmed glasses, strong coffee and art mags tucked under their arm sit the buyers. On the other side of Todd Mall on the green lawn under the Luthern Church cross, sit the artists with their family. Everyone is waiting for the show to start.
The Papunya Tula art show is an annual event that brings together some of the top artists from that iconic art region, the Western Desert. Over the last few years, the show has gradually become bigger and bigger as demand for the paintings grows.
Outside the gallery, the crowd starts getting edgy. At 7pm, the doors will open and so will the cheque books. Dealers representing interstate and overseas collectors sit alongside Alice Springs locals ranging from intrigued onlookers to the more serious lounge-room collectors.
