Mia Mia Aboriginal Gallery and Indigenous Arts Precinct
- a social enterprise of the AADF
The philosophy of the Mia Mia Arts Precinct is to express, through the arts, the richness and unique Aboriginal culture of Australia. Mia Mia (pronounced “my-ya my-ya”) means Shelter and the AADF provide an umbrella of activites to develop, showcase and support Indigenous artists, and Indigenous Art and Culture in all its forms.
Visitors to Mia Mia can share and discover how artists’ works and performances preserve, enhance and pass on the message of the world’s oldest living culture (75,000+ years old) to a proud and enriched next generation of today’s Aboriginal Australians and the wider community. We guarantee your experience at Mia Mia will be an enriching one. Whether you come to see and appreciate the art, the sculptures and the artists, or just to sit in the pleasant bush surroundings and enjoy a coffee and scones from the cafe whist watching the local birds and wildlife. Or you can visit us as an organised school or student/tourist group, where you’ll begin to understand and appeciate the longevity of Australia’s Aboriginal heritage. We have regular didgeridoo performances, boomerang throwing and many other fantastic activities to experience within the magic space that is the Mia Mia Aboriginal Arts Precinct. Come and re-charge your inner energies and make the most of a visit to Mia Mia.
For over 15 years, we’ve been situated in the beautiful 1930′s Manor House atop the hill in Westerfolds Park, in the heart of the Heidelberg Valley of the Arts, overlooking a huge bend in the Upper Yarra River. The Indigenous Arts Precinct is a social enterprise of the Aboriginal Artists Development Fund inc, a not-for-profit organisation committed to returning revenue back to Aboriginal communities and Artists from whom we’ve sourced the fabulous range and variety of Aboriginal art we have on display.
One of the major achievements of Colin McKinnon-Dodd, curator of Mia Mia Gallery is the recognition and respect he has gained from Clifford Possum and his family. Through the time Colin spent with Clifford he built up a foundation of trust that continues to this day through Clifford’s daughters, Michelle and Gabielle, whose work can be seen at Mia Mia. Colin was also entrusted with looking after the family’s sorry business after Clifford passed away and in more recent times has been given permission to utilise the latest technology and software to create limited edition digital reproductions of Clifford’s work on canvas. This is truly an achievement but more importantly it signifies the calibre of work that the AADF is doing to help sustain and promote Aboriginal artists and their families, and share this treasure with the wider Australian community and indeed the World.
For more information about Mia Mia Aboriginal Gallery and the Indigenous Arts Precinct please visit the website >>.
