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CAN creates positive social change through the arts, building inclusion and understanding between people.

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Their Stories. Their Words. Their Legacies 👏

Wander into our Access Gallery and find Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie): Stories From Silky Pear Country, a celebration of the life stories of ten respected Aboriginal Elders from the Goldfields region!

With portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Michael Jalaru Torres and podcast conversations hosted by Spinifex Anangu broadcaster Debbie Carmody, Legacies Karlkurla seeks to inspire, educate and build a deeper understanding between people in WA.

📍John Curtin Gallery
🗓️ 18 September– 21 October 2026
Free entry. Open to the public.

Their poignant, powerful and at times heartbreaking journeys capture critical moments in Australian history.

Thank you Geoffrey Stokes, Murray McCarthy, Janice Scott, Dallas McLean, Donald Ballinger, Betty Logan, Brent Johnston, Nyingurta Jessie West, Trevor Brownley and Allison Dimer, for sharing your stories. 💛

Please be advised that the names, voices and images of deceased Elders in this exhibition have been used with their permission.

📸 - @stillmedia_au

Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie) was originally presented by the Community Arts Network in partnership with WA Museum of Goldfields, ABC Goldfields Esperance and Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation, with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. The Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie) project was produced with support from the WA Government and assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts funding and advisory body.

@communityartsnetwork @museumofthegoldfields @communitybroadcastingnetwork @abcindigenous taken in John Curtin Gallery by @communityartsnetwork

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9 days ago

Check out this beautiful video diary from the Unfinished Business team’s cultural exchange trip to West Sumatra, shot and edited by Viory Simatupang. CAN Executive Producer Michelle White writes:

We went hijab shopping in Padang, which is the capital of West Sumatra, then we visited the Grand Mosque – Masjid Raya. The mosque is famous for its dramatic horned buffalo roof. Spectacular!

Then we set off for the highland city of Bukittinggi. On the way we stopped at Aia Mancus, a 35 metre high waterfall right on the highway.

Our next stop was a museum in a traditional Minangkubau house where we learnt about the biggest matrilineal society in the world – we'll share more about that soon, it's fascinating!

This trip to Indonesia is an important part of CAN'S Unfinished Business project which is grounded in Noongar matriarchy. The trip was made possible thanks to funding from Creative Australia's Creative Futures Fund which invests in projects of scale and ambition.

Our sincere thanks to Dewie Bukit, Director of Project 11, our exchange partner.

Read more about Unfinished Business: link in bio

@lotterywest
@creative.australia
@project11foundation by @communityartsnetwork

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9 days ago

First contact. First fences. First farms.

Now, learn the First Nations story of Menang Country, beginning at Strawberry Hill at Barmup—a site of immense cultural significance, disrupted by British colonisation.

You’re invited to experience Mapping Menang, an exhibition that will immerse you in stories of family, Country and connection, shared by Menang Elders and community members. This exhibition is the culmination of two years of community engagement, sharing of intergenerational knowledge, archival research and art-making.

Date: 29 November 2026 – 20 March 2027
Times: Wednesday - Sunday 9:30AM - 2:30PM
Location: Barmup/Strawberry Hill
174 Middleton Road Albany 6330 WA
Entry: Free
More info: Link in bio

Pictured: Vernice Gillies working on the Menang map. Credit: Ann and Tom Photography Videography

@nationaltrustwa
@lotterywest
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@thecityofalbanywa by @communityartsnetwork

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16 days ago

“I enjoy the singing in the language, you know, because my grandparents are long gone, and I never got that chance to learn the language. So I think it's lovely now at my age, so I can teach my kids and grandkids.”

Susan Jetta, grandmother and participant in Noongar Lullabies Pingelly
What a beautiful day we had in Pingelly and Quairading, recording the song ‘Yongka Bardang’ (Kangaroo Jumps). The song was created and recorded by members of the Pingelly Koorlanga Waabiny and Quairading Moorditj Nyoongar playgroups, with musicians Kobi Arthur Morrison and Cyndy Moody, during the Noongar Nursery Rhymes project.

We also had a chance to chat to some of the participants about how this project preserves and celebrates Noongar language. Read all about it in our latest blog post, enjoy these gorgeous photos of the recording sessions, taken by Cole Baxter, and stay tuned for the release of ‘Yongka Bardang’!

Read the blog post 'Learning language is life-changing', link in bio.

Pictured are photos from the recording day, taken by Cole Baxter.

Captions: Susan Jetta with her granddaughter; playgroup members at Pingelly recording session; learning the song with Kobi and Cyndy in Quairading; Kobi Arthur Morrison and Cyndy Moody; young Quairading playgroup graduates recording the song; Cyndy making a recording of the song in Quairading, Kobi recording Cyndi; Cyndy with Quairading playgroup leader Cynthia Yarran.

@infrastructurepartnershipsau
@healthway.wa
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@_cole.baxter by @communityartsnetwork

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17 days ago

And they're off! ✈️

CAN's Unfinished Business project team and lead artists are winging their way to Western Sumatra to meet Minangkabau artists, explore galleries, and visit the mountain highland villages of the Minang people.

Unfinished Business is a Noongar cultural revival project grounded in matriarchy, and the Minang people belong to the largest matrilineal society in the world!

Artists Sharyn Egan and Yabini Kickett, CAN's Michelle White and Rebecca McCauley and Quairading Community Coordinator Cynthia Yarran will travel to Yogyakarta and then Sumatra for this once-in-a-lifetime cultural exchange.

This trip was made possible thanks to funding from Creative Australia's Creative Futures Fund which invests in projects of scale and ambition.

Pictured L-R: Yabini Kickett, Michelle White, Cynthia Yarran and Sharyn Egan.

@creative.australia
@lotterywest by @communityartsnetwork

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19 days ago

An exciting part of the process for the Mapping Leschenault team has been transitioning from the creative development phase, which saw a large number of monoprints made on Country and in the studio, into preparation and planning for their upcoming exhibition at Wardandi Art Gallery on Friday 6 November.

All elements of the creative phase – such as walks on Country, storytelling, print-making, intergenerational sharing, memory – become woven into the next so it's been a delight to reflect back, discuss and share visions together as a powerful group of Elders, artists, innovators and change-makers.

This really is an example of the creative process is just as important as the exhibition itself. Our collective curation has led us on a path of innovation and we can't wait to show you our cultural mapping project – highlighting connection to Country around the Leschenault Estuary.

Pictured are photos from the latest Mapping Leschenault workshops // Credit Hugh Sando
Pictured: Dawn Alone, Janine Williams, Alice Khan, Lera Bennell, Korrine Bennell, Dellas Bennell, Rebecca Lyon Augustus & Pip Kelly

@ausgovarts
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@leschenaultcatchmentcouncil by @communityartsnetwork

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22 days ago

It’s just one week til ‘Legacies Karlkurla/Kalgoorlie: Stories from Silky Pear Country’ opens at John Curtin Gallery!

After premiering at Kalgoorlie’s Museum of the Goldfields, this seminal First Nations-led multimedia exhibition is making its way to Boorloo/Perth, with powerful, poignant and at times heartbreaking stories that capture critical moments in Australian history.

Celebrating the life journeys of ten respected Aboriginal Elders from the Goldfields region this exhibition features portraits by internationally-acclaimed Djugun-Yawuru photographer Michael Jalaru Torres, and podcast conversations hosted by Spinifex Anangu broadcaster Debbie Carmody.

‘Legacies Karlkurla’ runs 17 September - 21 October 2026; Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 4pm; at John Curtin Gallery, Building 200A, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102. Entry is free.
More info about the project: link in bio

Caption: Geoffrey Stokes is one of the ten Elders featured in the 'Legacies Karlkurla' exhibition. Credit: Michael Jalaru Torres

@johncurtingallery
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@jalaruphotography
@museumofthegoldfields
#communitybroadcastingfoundation
#tjumapulka by @communityartsnetwork

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23 days ago

We’re loving these artworks created by young people from the Badgebup Junior Rangers, Katanning Senior High School and Kojonup District High School!

The artworks have been made in response to the song that has been written during the residency, which is titled ‘Same Storm’ (it’s a banger, we can’t wait to share it with you!) – some of these artworks will be used in the accompanying music video as animation, some will be used on this year’s Now Sounds merch and some in the zine that is being made by project participants to capture the creative process that’s unfurled over our year in Katanning.

@healthway.wa
@shireofkatanning
@creative.australia
@cits_wa by @communityartsnetwork

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a month ago

We’re thrilled to announce that the seminal Elders storytelling exhibition ‘Legacies Kalgoorlie/Karlkurla: Stories from Silky Pear Country’ is making its way from the Goldfields to Boorloo/Perth this September!

Grounded in truth, resilience, respect and triumph, ‘Legacies Kalgoorlie/Karlkurla’ celebrates the life stories of ten respected Aboriginal Elders from the Goldfields region, through portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Michael Jalaru Torres and podcast conversations hosted by Spinifex Anangu broadcaster Debbie Carmody.

‘Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie): Stories From Silky Pear Country’
When: 17 – 21 October 2026 (NB closing date has been updated since our eNews went out!)
Where: John Curtin Gallery, Building 200A, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102.
Opening times: Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm; Sunday 12pm - 4pm
Entry: FREE

Read more: link in bio

Photo: Janice Scott // credit Michael Jalaru Torres

@johncurtingallery
@cits_wa
@creative.australia
@jalaruphotography
#communitybroadcastingfoundation
#tjumapulka by @communityartsnetwork

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a month ago

Djilba is a season of growth and transition so it feels fitting that our August eNews’ headline is the appointment of our new Chair Zali Morgan.

It is with deepest sadness and fondest memories that we honour Aunty Winnie McHenry, Noongar Elder and matriarch, and the inspiration behind CAN's Unfinished Business project.

In this issue you’ll also read about the creative dividends being paid in the second iteration of High VisAbility, two upcoming exhibitions that will immerse you in First Nations stories, the new Noongar song and book that’s being created during Noongar Nursery Rhymes… and more!

Read all about it in the Djilba/August edition of the CAN eNews, link in bio. by @communityartsnetwork

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a month ago

We are so proud to announce that CAN has been appointed by the WA Government to be part of the Bicentenary Planning Advisory Group (BPAG), along with Reconciliation WA and Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company.

Our role, alongside Reconciliation WA and Yirra Yaakin, is to consult communities across WA to find out how they want to see the Bicentenary marked. This feedback will be used to guide the development of a shared vision for the year-long commemoration of the Bicentenary, one that is shaped by the diversity of WA’s communities, and builds social cohesion and inclusion.

Read more about this exciting project on the CAN website: link in bio

@wagovernment
@yirra_yaakin
@reconciliationwa by @communityartsnetwork

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2 months ago

Congratulations to CAN Chair Zali Morgan, who has been selected as the West Australian representative at the 2026 Venice Biennale Delegates Program.

Zali joins seven other early-mid career visual arts practitioners – from each state or territory – to take part in this Creative Australia initiative, which is designed to give delegates opportunities to exchange ideas, develop networks and seed future collaborations at this seminal international event.

We are so proud of Zali and can’t wait to hear about her adventures in Venice!

Pictured: CAN Chair Zali Morgan. Credit: Nic Duncan by @communityartsnetwork

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2 months ago