New initiative to support Indigenous artists’ lifeline during the pandemic

The recently launched Our Art Is Our Lifeline is a national campaign encouraging the purchase of artwork by Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander artists as an effective way to directly support artists and communities during the pandemic.

Stephanie Parkin, Chair of IartC Source: Supplied

Launched by the Indigenous Art Code (IartC), the campaign underlines the vital urgency of supporting Australia’s talented First Nations artists, and as wider audiences embrace online sales, of buying art through ethical sources.

Speaking to NITV Radio in the sidelines of the campaign launch, Stephanie Parkin, IartC Chair, said that Covid-19 has impacted on artists within the Indigenous Art Code network and artists more broadly destroying their opportunities to work and earn an income.

“Our Art is Our Lifeline campaign aims to ensure that there is continued support for the art industry during this time and also that purchases are done through fair and transparent channels and trading.”

The Indigenous Art Code was established by the Commonwealth and is supported by the Australia Government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program and the Cultural Ministers of each State and Territory.