Acknowledgement of Country  

UNSW Art & Design acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional owners of the land upon which it stands; the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. We also acknowledge Gadigal Elders past, present and into the future.

As we share our own knowledge, teaching, learning and research practices within this faculty we also pay respect to the knowledge embedded forever within the Aboriginal Custodianship of Country.

Welcome 

UNSW Art & Design welcomes First Nations Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to all of our courses and programs. At any one time our faculty hosts 30 – 40 Indigenous students studying, researching and practicing within our creative community.

We are committed to supporting Indigenous students, practitioners and researchers to meet their educational needs and aspirations. The faculty works to facilitate and achieve this through consulting and working with Indigenous staff at UNSW, through our teaching and research offerings and our community and outreach interactions.

Lecturer, curator, artist, writer and editor Tess Allas is Director of Indigenous Programs at UNSW Art & Design’s Paddington campus. Tess also works closely with UNSW’s Nura Gili Centre for Indigenous Programs on our Kensington Campus which provides pathways to learning opportunities that embrace Indigenous knowledge, cultures and histories. 

Nura Gili strives for excellence in educational services and works towards assuring participation and access to all the programs it offers. The staff and students at Nura Gili support community outreach programs to actively spread the message of the availability of tertiary studies. Staff and students also work to promote the centrality of arts, culture and heritage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples - throughout UNSW and the wider community.

Elder in Residence

UNSW Art & Design is honoured by Elder in Residence Uncle Vic Chapman. Uncle Vic is a pioneering educator (Australia’s first Indigenous School Principal), a notable ceramist with a practice spanning more than 50 years and community cultural leader. 

Uncle Vic visits our campus each Friday to work with students and artists in the Cicada Press printmaking studio. He is always on hand to generously provide wise counsel, participate in research, listen to staff and students who seek his support and to share with them in their achievements.

Bowen Bungaree Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Residency Program  

In 2016 UNSW Art & Design launched an exciting new residency program which provides tailored support for Indigenous artists and designers to enable them to undertake ambitious projects and to create new work.

This residency program is named after Bowen Bungaree, the first documented Aboriginal artist from Sydney who sailed with John Oxley aboard the cutter HMS Mermaid in 1823.

In the inaugural year Residencies have been offered to and accepted by Tony Albert, Ethel-Anne Gundy, Lucy Simpson and Shevaun Wright.

Vicki Olsson Scholarship for Indigenous Students

The Vicki Olsson Scholarship has been established at UNSW Art & Design to support the educational endeavors of talented and driven Indigenous students who might not, without financial assistance, be able to attend university.

In 2016, Lisa-Jane Van Dyk was named the inaugural Vicki Olsson Scholarship recipient.  UNSW Art & Design acknowledges the generosity of Vicki Olsson in initiating this scholarship and congratulates Lisa-Jane on her achievement. 

High School Outreach

Each year UNSW Art & Design hosts high school participants from the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia’s ‘Djurali’ program and Nura Gili’s ‘Winter School’ program. Students from across the state of NSW (for Djurali) and across the nation (for Winter School) attend classes in art and design creation on our campus. These programs provide the participants with a glimpse into university and campus life and have proven successful in identifying future students and transitioning students to tertiary studies in subsequent years. 

Indigenous Programs contact

Tess Allas
Director, Indigenous Programs 
UNSW Art & Design, Paddington Campus 

Email: t.allas@unsw.edu.au
Ph:  +61 2 8936 0851
Location: Room G107