Babylon #2, 2015. Bindi Cole Chocka – Pigment print on rag paper, 40 x 26cm. Edition of 8.

 

The Board of Directors of Indigenous Art Code Limited is the body with the authority to deal with complaints and issue sanctions under the Code.

The Board will:

  • implement and oversee the application of the Code;
  • maintain an online register of Company Members;
  • investigate complaints that a signatory has breached the Code; and
  • issue sanctions for non-compliance by Code signatories.

Board Structure

The structure of the Board allows for:

  • up to 4 commercial dealers who are Code Members and are elected by Code Members;
  • up to 3 Indigenous artists who are appointed by the Board;
  • up to 2 artists resource organisation representatives who are appointed by the Board; and
  • up to 8 representatives with legal, arts, business or consumer knowledge and experience who are appointed by the Board.

The structure of the Board was developed in consultation with the Industry Alliance Group which was formed to provide guidance on the development of the Code and has been designed to achieve participation across the breadth of the Indigenous visual arts industry.

To ensure all major Code member groups are represented, the four elected dealer positions include:

  • 1 Member who is also a member of the Art Galleries Association of Australia (formerly Australian Commercial Galleries Association (ACGA);
  • 1 Member who is also a member of the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia (formerly the Australian Indigenous Art Trade Association (Art Trade));
  • 1 Member who represents an Indigenous Art Centre; and
  • 1 Member who is a non-affiliated dealer.

The current Board of Indigenous Art Code Limited

Elected Dealer Directors

Vivien Anderson

Director, Vivien Anderson Gallery

Vivien has over 30 years experience in Australian Indigenous art.  After returning from a career in London as a film producer, she became Manager of the Aboriginal Artists Gallery in Melbourne.  Vivien went on to manage and direct several acclaimed contemporary galleries in both Melbourne and Sydney, all with a strong emphasis in Australian Indigenous visual artists. Vivien has directed her own specialist gallery in Melbourne since 2006; the current gallery is in St Kilda.

Marc Alperstein

Director, Alperstein Designs

Marc is an experienced Creative Director working in the wholesale gift industry.  For over 15 years, he has worked in collaboration with Artists and Art centres to create unique ranges of lifestyle gifts and homewares that are sold throughout Australia and around the world.  Marc holds a Bachelor Fine Arts (Honours) in Painting from Monash University.

Nichola Dare

Director, Aboriginal Contemporary

Nichola opened her Sydney gallery 11 years ago. Her passion for culture, transparent approach to business and regular trips to remote art centres have helped her build strong relationships across the industry – from artists at one end to customers at the other. Nichola is keen to use her experience as a gallerist to bring to the Board the voice of the consumer, whose needs and concerns are critical for our sector’s success but often overlooked.

Amy Mukherjee

Manager, Martumili Artists

Amy has been working for the Newman based art centre Martumili Artists since 2017, and is currently Manager.  Martumili represents Martu artists working and living in 7 communities across the East Pilbara, and is recognised as one of the largest and most reputable art centres in WA.

 

Arts worker, artist and writer Amy Mukherjee has been based in the Pilbara region of Western Australia since 2014.  A Fine Arts graduate originally from the UK, Amy has a background in curation, project coordination and gallery management.  With a particular interest in product development and creative collaboration, Amy is a staunch advocate for the agency and empowerment of Aboriginal artists.

Appointed Positions

Kathleen Buzzacott

Artist

Kathleen is a successful lndigenous entrepreneur, artist, designer and poet.  She began working as a painter alongside her sister in 1993, sharing their childhood stories through their intricate Central Desert Dot paintings.  She has painted for many of the art galleries in Alice Springs and also provides her artworks to Aboriginal Art Gallery in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

ln 2014, Kathleen opened her own art studio on her husband’s Traditional Lands west of Alice Springs, where she continues to operate, sharing art and culture with tourists that visit from all over the world.  Kathleen also has successful licensing agreements with three companies that manufacture products featuring her designs.  Her artworks can also been seen on AAT Kings Buses in Central Australia, and around Lasseter’s Hotel Casino.  Kathleen is very passionate about informing Aboriginal Artists that they have rights.  This includes getting fair treatment and right payment for their work.

Ruby Djikarra-Alderton

Artist

Ruby is a Yolngu women from Yirrkala in North East Arnhem Land.  As a child she spent alot of time with her mother while she was creating her art.  Later as a teenager, her mother then encouraged Ruby to help her paint her bark paintings, create her prints and edition them with her.

This led Ruby to working at Buku-Larrnggay Mulka Arts Centre as a printmaker and arts worker for 3 years.  Ruby know resides in Newcastle and is an independant artist.  For the past 4 years she has been working with Artback NT & Buku with a touring exhibition from Yirrkala, Balnhdhurr – A Lasting Impression.

Ruby’s art has always has a huge influence from her Yolngu heritage.  What she creates is both old and new stories using traditional and non-traditional mediums.  Ruby only paints the Rirratjingu clan designs, which is her mother’s clan and the designs and stories that she inherited.  She loves to be able to share her knowledge and culture whenever the opportunity arises.

Saretta Fielding

Artist

Saretta is an Aboriginal Artist, Designer and Businesswomen of the Wonaruah Nation located in the Hunter Valley NSW.

Represented nationally and internationally, Saretta has enjoyed success in her Art Business, winning prestigious art awards including designer of the Ray-Ban Global Indigenous Wayfarers, 2010 exhibition in San Francisco and Parliament Art Prize
winner and exhibitor.

In 2014 Saretta launched Saretta Art & Design, today a multi-faceted business that
delivers branding to Government and Corporates, architectural installation, interior design, alongside décor and fashion ranges that filter into impressive wholesale and retail business across Australia and internationally.  2016 saw Saretta pioneer Malang Indigenous Corporation, a not for profit organisation, bringing the skill and experience of the Saretta Art & Design team together to champion economic investment into her community.

Artists Resource Organisations

Chad Creighton

CEO, Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia (AACHWA)

Chad Creighton is the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of Western Australia. Chad is a Bardi and Nyul Nyul man from the Kimberley region of WA. Born in Broome he lived in the township and surrounding communities for most of his life. He studied Fine Art at the University of Western Australia and Heritage Studies at Curtin University. Chad has a diversity of knowledge and experience working in the arts, heritage and native title. His work experience includes, curatorial experience with the Art Gallery of WA, development of the Desert River Sea project, coordinating heritage and environmental activities and managing native title services in the West Kimberley. He is currently a board member of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair, WA Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee member, Revealed Advisory Committee member and formerly committee member of the City of Perth Cultural Advisory Group.

Christina Davidson

CEO, Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists Aboriginal Corporation (ANKA)

Christina is CEO of Arnhem, Northern and Kimberley Artists Aboriginal Corporation (ANKA). ANKA is the Indigenous governed peak advocacy and support organisation for over 5,000 Aboriginal artists and 49 Aboriginal-owned art centres and artist groups in Arnhem Land, the Kimberley, the Tiwi Islands and Darwin/Katherine. ANKA regions span over one million square kilometres of remote Northern Australia. Before joining ANKA, Christina lectured in contemporary art and art theory at The University of Sydney and The University of Melbourne. Christina is also a Board Member of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.

Legal, Arts, Business and Consumer Expertise

Stephanie Parkin

Chair, Indigenous Art Code

Stephanie Parkin belongs to the Quandamooka People of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). With a background as an intellectual property lawyer, Stephanie completed a Masters’ of Philosophy at the Queensland University of Technology in 2020, addressing the issue of fake Aboriginal art in the souvenir market. Stephanie is employed by the Copyright Agency and her work and board participation more broadly is aimed at promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights and protocols.

Richard England, FCA, MAICD.

Chartered Accountant and Non Executive Director

Richard is a chartered accountant and non executive director.  His current board appointments include Chairman of Qantm Intellectual Property Limited and a director of Japara Healthcare Limited, Macquarie Atlas Roads Limited and Nanosonics Limited.  He is a former partner in Ernst and Young where he specialised in insolvency and debt reconstruction.  He has expertise in corporate governance and broad experience in business across a number of sectors including agriculture, healthcare and infrastructure.  He has a passionate interest in Indigenous affairs and is a keen collector of Australian Indigenous art.

Skip Lipman

Principal and Founder, Lipman Karas

Skip is a partner of Lipman Karas Barristers & Solicitors.  Lipman Karas has litigation offices in Adelaide, Hong Kong and London.  Skip’s areas of expertise include professional negligence, trade practices, corporate governance, shareholder and takeover disputes, fraud and asset tracing, insolvency, obtaining equitable remedies and the conduct and management of major project litigation and inquiries.

Skip has been a Director of the International College of Hotel Management since 1992.  He was previously a director of both MDASA and Medical Insurance Australia.

Marie Jackson 

Non-executive Director

Marie has rich experience in the communications, tourism, travel and events industries, and a life-long interest in art and design. She has served as a Trustee of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Trust, executive director of Solterbeck Events, board member of M&C Saatchi Worldwide, regional partner of Publicis Mojo and director of Ogilvy & Mather. Marie is currently a non-executive director of Sovereign Hill Museums Association and a member of Chief Executive Women.