The Steering Committee
A Steering Committee was formed in 2009 to act as an advisory board to the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. It has been made up of some of the key stakeholders in the event including, the peak advisory boards ANKAAA and Desart, representation of the Indigenous Art Centres and Industry event managers Top End Arts .
A new governance structure in the form of a Foundation will be established during 2011 to support the ongoing vision and management of the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair. The current interim Steering Committee is therefore seeking expressions of interest from interested individuals with relevant Indigenous arts industry experience. The Foundation Board will include: representation from peak bodies ANKAAA and DESART, representation from Indigenous owned Art Centres and representation from industry and/or cultural expertise.
The Steering Committee Members
Cathy Cummins
Cathy has worked in community arts, community development and indigenous arts for the past 20 years with occasional excursions into personal arts practice. During the past 8 years she has managed Waringarri Aboriginal Arts at Kununurra in the east Kimberley supporting the art centre with a strong focus on enterprise development strategies and indigenous training and employment. Initially arriving in the east Kimberley 15 years ago to facilitate a community arts project with young people she has been unable to find a better part of the world to embrace and celebrate art & culture.
Christina Davidson
Chief Executive Officer – Association of Northern Kimberly and Arnhem Aboriginal Artists – ANKAAA
ANKAAA is the peak advocacy and support agency for aboriginal artists and art centres located in the regions of: Arnhem Land, Darwin, Katherine, Kimberley and Tiwi Islands.
Claire Summers
Claire Summers has a back ground in social sciences and business management and has been working in the Maningrida Community for the last five years. Up until recently, she worked as the Assistant Arts Director at Maningrida Arts and Culture and coordinated the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair with Apolline Kohen in 2007 and 2008. Claire now works in a community development capacity at the Babbarra Women’s Centre and manages Babbarra Designs which produces handmade lino-printed and screen printed fabric.
