Broome offers many Aboriginal galleries to visit and purchase art from directly. When you buy directly from Indigenous-owned community art centres, you know it’s genuine and that its artists are benefiting from each sale.
Black Stump Gallery showcases modern and contemporary works. Situated in Chinatown, it serves as home for Nagula Jarndu Designs.
Broome Time Art Gallery
Kimberley region boasts several museums that celebrate indigenous history and culture, such as Pearl Luggers in Broome’s Chinatown, Kununurra Museum, and SSJG Heritage Centre Broome. These exhibits give visitors a window into this extraordinary area’s diverse heritage.
Kimberley has long been revered as an art destination, inspiring artists and photographers alike to create works that celebrate its natural beauty. You are sure to find an art gallery here that matches both traditional Aboriginal art as well as more modern or contemporary offerings that meet your requirements.
For something truly distinctive and original, take a look at the work of local artist James Down. His vibrant paintings capture the vibrancy and vivid colours of Broome and Kimberley in whimsical styles; his limited edition pieces ensure you own something truly one-of-a-kind!
Allysha Cartledge is an accomplished acrylic on canvas painter who expertly captures the beauty of nature in all its forms in Kimberley through acrylic. She excels at depicting elements like trees, marine life and birds with great attention paid to detail and color – her works should not be missed by those who appreciate nature in all its forms!
Carly Lane is an Indigenous Curator from Murri descent who works tirelessly to foster culture, ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are part of national conversations, and enable self-determination, equality, and social change for her people. She previously held positions at National Gallery of Australia before moving onto Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in Perth where she serves as Curator.
Artlandish Aboriginal Art Gallery
Aboriginal art may be one of the oldest art forms in existence, but its popularity among modern audiences is growing quickly. “Interest in our art has been phenomenal,” states Scott Linklater of Artlandish Aboriginal Gallery in Kununnura, northern Australia. “And the way that people interact with it both online and personally has been immensely exciting!”
Indigenous art has a rich heritage dating back to ancient rock paintings that are over 40,000 years old. While traditional rock painting may still be most recognisable to viewers today, contemporary Aboriginal artists have adapted their style accordingly and produced incredible work.
Broome galleries feature an eclectic blend of traditional and modern works. Short Street Gallery, run by Emily Rohr who has worked closely with Aboriginal artists for two decades. Emily is passionate about introducing visitors to Aboriginal art – her gallery is housed in a stunning heritage building overlooking Broome’s Cable Beach!
Yarliyil Art Centre in Halls Creek, Western Australia is well known for its vibrant paintings that depict traditional Dreamtime stories; similarly Keringke Arts Aboriginal Corporation based out of Ltyentye Apurte in Northern Territory is another arts centre renowned for their traditional canvases.
Mowanjum Art & Cultural Centre
Mowanjum Art & Cultural Centre in Derby in West Kimberley offers something truly exceptional – an original Aboriginal artwork purchased directly from its artist! A trip here should not be missed by travellers touring this unique part of Australia! For travellers touring Mowanjum Art & Cultural Centre is an absolute must; as its creative hub serves Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunambal communities located here and serves as a living museum preserving culture through music, dance, art and stories of Mowanjum community; annually hosting Junba Festival (traditional song and dance), workshops and exhibitions!
Mowanjum Arts and Cultural Centre’s artistic narrative draws heavily from Wandjina, an ancestor-involved being revered by three major language groups that make up its community: Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunambal who share common ancestors that act as custodians for Wandjina Country. Wandjina are best recognized by their haloed heads with no mouth seen in ancient rock paintings of this region.
Today, Mowanjum artists are widely revered for their boab nut carvings and ochre paintings. This change came about thanks to Papunya Tula movement’s success both locally and internationally; their artistic efforts helped sustain these Aboriginal communities’ wellbeing through art. A visit to Mowanjum can be an amazing experience; its gallery and museum offer visitors an intimate glimpse of indigenous art of this land.
Sun Pictures
Sun Pictures has long been an icon in Broome’s Chinatown and still operates as the world’s oldest operating picture garden today. With its humble double-fronted tin structure and double-sided frontages, this historic cinema stands as an entertainment and cultural education venue. Early on, the theatre was an exclusive space reserved for Europeans who were considered most “worthy”. These people sat in cane chairs with cushions; those of lesser status sat on deck chairs on the right of a low lattice-dividing rail or benches near its front of house. Pearl lugger crews from Malays, Koepangers and Filipinos to Aborigines entered through separate doors and took seats allocated specifically to them either on bench chairs outside in front of European audiences or inside with bench seats designated just for them – in other words they entered through separate doors that led directly into this theatre of distinction.
As soon as you step inside this historic building, whether to sit in one of their cane chairs or simply appreciate its ambience, it’s worth making the journey to Birrunga Gallery on Short Street for local Aboriginal textiles and arts and crafts. Established by Wiradyuri man and artist Birrunga Wiradyuri himself and featuring works from multiple Indigenous artists (along with gifts, clothing and homewares from numerous sellers), Birrunga Gallery provides excellent shopping opportunities that support families and communities in Australia.
Yane Sotiroski Photography
Broome offers beautiful natural colors and an abundant cultural heritage, making it the perfect setting for galleries showcasing local art. Visit one of Broome’s traditional Aboriginal galleries like Black Stump Gallery or Nagula Jarndu Designs to view works that capture its distinctive landscapes.
Check out exhibitions at local museums and galleries – for instance, Broome Historical Museum is filled with vintage items that provide a fascinating window into its past and provide insight into Broome’s story.
For an in-depth exploration of Aboriginal culture, head over to the SSJG Heritage Centre and take part in workshops and discussions led by local artists about traditional weaving and ochre painting techniques. You may even discover parallels between indigenous ways of knowing and Western theories of new materialism!
Broome accommodation options are many and varied, from hotels with pools and air conditioning to cottages and luxury apartments. Hotel search results can be filtered according to price range in order to find one that best fits your budget. May to October is considered the peak season, when temperatures are most comfortable for exploring Broome’s natural attractions.
Nagula Jarndu Designs
Yawuru Jarndu Designs, also known as Nagula Jarndu Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit arts and textiles business owned and run by 120 Indigenous women from Broome area. Led by seven Yawuru women Directors, it specialises in hand printed textiles with symbolic meaning such as telling significant cultural or tribal tales.
Nagula Jarndu Designs draws its creative energy from their lives, surroundings and each other for design inspiration. Artist Cecilia Tigan draws upon her Mayala heritage as well as pearl shells she collects at Ardyloon/One Arm Point on Dampier Peninsula as well as memories of Aubrey Tigan who was known as an accomplished ceremonial pearl carving artist (riji).
Designers of Runway to the West fashion event in Sydney employed an array of materials such as emu feathers, quandong seeds and river reed to craft beautiful jewellery and accessories inspired by cultural practices of living traditions. Their unique creations were showcased as cultural adornment.
Sherena Bin Hitam, an art director of Nagula Jarndu from Bardi-Jawi-Yawuru heritage and remote areas, has witnessed how creating art can provide women in remote regions with restorative, fulfilling and liberating forms of self-expression that empower women who may have experienced trauma or abuse in their pasts.