Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre

Waking up the spirit

Waking up the spirit of the Country through songs, dance, art and story, by sharing and teaching young people, is what the Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre does to keep their culture alive. It is the creative hub for the Worrorra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbal people, who make up the Mowanjum community and who are united by their belief in, and custodianship of, the Wandjina as a sacred spiritual force and the creators of the land. These three groups were forcibly removed from their northern homelands in the early 1900s and now reside on Nykina country. Designed as a Wandjina when viewed from the air, the Centre houses a gallery and museum, an archive and a performance area. At the Centre, artists create artworks, produce books and merchandise, and host exhibitions and workshops to tell the story of their remarkable survival after enduring displacement from their country. Every year the Centre is host to the annual Mowanjum Festival in the July school holidays, which is one of Australia's longest running Indigenous cultural festivals. At the festival, elders continue to share their culture and history through junba – songs, with earth-pounding dances and colourful totems of spirit and story. As their reputation has grown, many people and organisations have begun repatriating materials to the Mowanjum people and they have now established Dolord Mindi (meaning deep cave) — the Mowanjum Community Collection, which includes a media space and museum. The Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre is a tribute to the resilience, creativity and passion of the community.

Address:

Gibb River Road
Derby WA 6728
Australia

Opening Hours

Mon to Fri 9am - 5pm, Sat & Sun 10am - 3pm, or book group tours by calling 08 9191 1008.

Entrance fee to Museum applies.

boab carvings

Derby’s icon is larrkardi or the boab tree, which produces large edible nuts, the surface of which, is perfect for engraving. Worrorra elder, Jack Wherra is recognised for his intricate boab nut...

Celebrating the sea eagle

“When we dance we stamp the ground waking up the spirit. The sounds of the clapsticks echo through the Country and the spirit comes up when they hear it.” Worrorra songman and leader Sam Woolagoodja...

Ancient technologies adapt to new materials

Kimberley points are like a signature from the people of the coastal ranges of the Kimberley. Unique to this area, they are functionally beautiful objects created by skilled artisans for use as knives...

More North West collections

Home of the Dalgety manager

Once the centre of town, the former Dalgety managers’ residence now houses Port Hedland Historical Society’s Dalgety House Museum. Dalgety House is adorned with lattice and louvered windows, and has...

A social history of the Kimberley

The SSJG Heritage Centre’s award winning Relationships exhibition is housed in the 1926 Old Convent, one of three remaining Japanese ‘Shinkabe’ buildings. The engaging displays offer a unique window...

Keeping language strong in the Kimberley

The Kimberley Language Resource Centre (KLRC) is the peak regional languages organisation of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Incorporated in 1985 as an independent, Aboriginal corporation...

One big mob altogether so that our grandchildren’s, children’s children will know their culture.

The artists say, ‘This place - it’s a good art centre!’ And it is. In the heart of Miriwoong country the Centre is focused on maintaining and passing on culture through dance, story and painting to...

While you're in the area

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