An article from ABC News about the Tiwi art sale associated with the Tiwi Islands football grand final.
Quoted from the article:
Indigenous artists could be forced to walk to a major art sale on the Tiwi Islands this weekend because the road to the community is flooded.
Every year hundreds of Indigenous carvings, paintings and fabric go on sale before the Tiwi Islands football grand final kicks off.
Christine Miezis from the Tiwi Art Network says it’s been a huge task getting the art from surrounding communities to Nguiu, where the sale is being held.
“The road is closed down to our crossing from Melville Island to Bathurst so there’s no access at all by road which means people will have to charter planes and fly in or boat down the channel which is really quite treacherous at times.”
Ms Miezis is also upset at the Licensing Commission’s decision to ban alcohol in the community for the weekend’s events. She says the ban will effect attendance for the final, and says that is not good news for local artists.
“There’s a lot of people that really enjoy to watch the football and have a drink so it’s not good. A lot of people just won’t go because that’s what you do, you sit and watch the football and have a beer.”
