The Australian Commercial Galleries Association (ACGA) strongly
supports and endorses the apology to the stolen generations given in the
Australian Parliament today.
Today is an historic day for Australia’s Indigenous and non-indigenous
alike. Saying sorry is a vital step in the process of reconciliation and
righting the wrongs of past injustices. Guy Abrahams, National President of
the ACGA said: It is significant to see bipartisan support for the apology
and agreement that both parties will work together on programs to reduce
the gap between Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians.
Art is one of the areas where Indigenous Australians have achieved world
recognition and is a major contributor to the social wellbeing and economic
independence of Indigenous Australians. The Australian Commercial
Galleries Association has as one of its central tenets the ethical
representation of all Australian artists, and we look forward to working with
the Federal Government in developing and implementing policy that furthers
the opportunities for and livelihood of Indigenous and non Indigenous
Australian artists nationally and internationally.
The ACGA is currently working with and is represented on the Reference
Group for the development of an Indigenous Australian Art Commercial
Code of Conduct. The ACGA is committed to working on the issues faced
by the Indigenous art market through that process.
Contact: Guy Abrahams, National President: (03) 9428 6099
Beverly Knight, National Board Member: (03) 9418 6444
