MAKE ART MAKE CHANGE: Coordinators Maria Tran and Amadeo Perez-Marquez are looking for indigenous artists.
INDIGENOUS artists hit a glass ceiling and can’t go any further Make Art Make Change coordinator Amadeo Perez-Marquez says.
Make Art Make Change is a statewide project aimed at creatively raising drug and alcohol awareness for Koori youth in New South Wales.
The project caravan will be in Orange on October 16 seeking talented young Indigenous artists to sign up and launch their career.
Mr Perez-Marquez said four youths would be picked across the state to engage in a mentoring program to develop their talents. The lucky winners will then have an art exhibition and become an ambassador for drug and alcohol awareness.
“It’s a really exciting project, a unique project and a great opportunity to really develop their craft,” he said.
He said the artists would be mentored by elders and artists in their community.
“They’ll be community and professional mentors and the art project must focus on some sort of health issue,” he said.
Mr Perez-Marquez said the project was designed to develop artists’ talent and give them the drive to succeed. Too often indigenous artists fall through the cracks and miss out on valuable opportunities.
“Primarily what happens is they hit a glass ceiling and they need a bit of a push to keep going,” he said.
Go to ice.org.au