Government is recruiting for the national Aboriginal art gallery

By KIERAN FINNANE

Jobs ads were placed about a week ago for a "senior director" for the NT Government’s proposed national Aboriginal art gallery. Applications close December 6.

The role is to “lead the delivery” of the project, working with “a diverse group of stakeholders, including Federal Government, key philanthropic organisations and corporate Australia to facilitate partnership opportunities and investment models”.

Facilitating “meaningful partnerships with Traditional Owners” and ensuring “social, cultural and economic opportunities for Aboriginal Territorians” are also mentioned, but not as a first priority. The successful applicant will, however, have to “display a high degree of cross-cultural competency.”

“Knowledge of the Arts” and of “the arts and museum sector” will assist; a tertiary qualification “in Social Policy, Arts Executive Management, or Public Policy, and membership of a relevant professional organisation”, will be viewed favourably, as will a “sound understanding of collections of works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists with cultural, historical and social significance”.

A video promoting the project online says it will be “one of the defining experiences of Central Australia, especially as we work together to recover from the impacts of Covid-19”.

It claims that the gallery will be led “by Aboriginal experts” and that the site in the Alice Springs CBD is supported by “many Aboriginal custodians”.

It says work is underway to acquire Anzac Oval, for the project’s green space; to relocate rugby, and to develop a detailed design brief.

It refers to “extensive community consultation” which found “majority support for the gallery to be built at Anzac Hill precinct” and cites a “comprehensive business case by Ernst & Young”, painting a glowing picture of its prospects.

See our analysis of the consultation (in reality an exercise in persuasion) here and the business case (far from "comprehensive" by its own definition) here.

Images at top and below, screen captures from the government's promotional video.