The Western Australian Indigenous Art Awards, the richest Indigenous arts prize in the
country, have announced the 16 finalists who will each be invited to place a body of work into competition for a share in prizes totalling $65,000.

The WAIAA are national awards founded in 2008 to celebrate the breadth, diversity and
excellence of art from all corners of Australia. The awards acknowledge the significant and ongoing contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists make to Australian art, culture and society.

The awards comprise a group exhibition of outstanding art and three non-acquisitive
awards totalling $65,000: the Western Australian Indigenous Art Award of $50,000; the
Western Australian Artist Award of $10,000; and the People’s Choice Award of $5,000.
The $50,000 award winner and $10,000 recipient will be announced at the opening event on August 12. The People’s Choice Award of $5,000 will be presented at the end of the exhibition season to the artist who receives the highest number of visitor votes at the end of the exhibtion period..

The selection panel for the WAIAA 2011 consisted of two Indigenous curators: Tina Baum, and Glenn Iseger-Pilkington, a curator of contemporary Australian art, Robert Cook and author and anthropologist, Professor Howard Morphy, each with nationally-acknowledged expertise and knowledge within the Australian arts sector.

The 16 artists selected to exhibit – with State and tribal affiliation – are:
Jan Billycan WA Yulparija, Michael Cook QLD Bidjara, Timothy Cook NT Tiwi, Angkaliya Curtis SA Pitjantjatjara, Gunybi Ganambarr NT Ngaymil, Angelina George NT Yugul Mangi, Gary Lee ACT Larrakia/Karajarri/Wadaman, Danie Mellor ACT Mamu/Ngagen/Ngajan, Patrick Mung Mung WA Gija, Trevor Nickolls SA Ngarrindjeri, Lena Nyadbi WA Gija, Tiger Palpatja SA Pitjantjatjara, Kuruwarriyingathi Bijarrb Paula Paul QLD Kayardild, Reko Gwaybilla Rennie VIC Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay/Gummaroi, Nyilyari Tjapangati NT Pintupi, Nyapanyapa Yunupingu NT Gumatj
The awards and exhibition are supported by the Government of Western Australia through the Department of Culture and the Arts; and works will be on display at the Art Gallery
of Western Australia from 13 August.