Ghost Net art: Erub Erwer Meta visit

Art centre manager Diann Lui, project manager Lynnette Griffiths, and artists Maryann Bourne and Emma Gela, from Darnley Island in the Torres Strait, were in Sydney before travelling to Canberra for the Selling Yarns 3 conference.

They were able to look at our Torres Strait Collection, which is comprised of around 400 items acquired since 1884, with one of our most recent pieces being the Sea Blanket that both Maryann and Emma each created a square for. Maryann created the Maori wrasse, and Emma Kar swimming over a reef. They were able to tell us a bit about the Sea Blanket and their contributions to the work.

In addition to looking at the collection, they were also able to look at photos taken on Darnley Island during Frank Hurleys trip in the early 1920's, the originals of which are kept in our archives department. They were able to describe where many of the photos were taken, and will hopefully be able to give us more information about the people and places in the photos.

The visit was a great opportunity to discuss our upcoming trip to Darnley Island in May, when Scott Mitchell and I will visit Erub Erwer Meta to meet with the artists, consult with community members, and talk to the artists about the ghost net piece or pieces that they will create for the museum. It's going to be a very exciting project!