Backlash for Adelaide 36ers after asking Aboriginal artist Elizabeth Close to work for free
The Adelaide 36ers apologised to an Aboriginal artist after asking her to design an indigenous round jersey in exchange for free tickets and exposure — a request she rejected as unethical and exploitative.
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The Adelaide 36ers have been lambasted after asking an Aboriginal artist to design their indigenous round jersey but would only pay her in tickets and “exposure”.
Elizabeth Close, a Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara woman from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in Central Australia, posted about the exchange on social media on Saturday night.
Her post has been shared more than 1000 times, with supporters blasting the basketball organisation’s behaviour.
The 33-year-old mother met with representatives from Adelaide 36ers last week and was asked to supply a quote for digital artwork to be used on their jerseys.
But after emailing them a quote “in line with industrial standards”, Close was told the organisation did not have a budget for the jersey and would pay her in free game tickets instead of money.
Close’s project manager responded that the offer was “unethical and unreasonable” but the Adelaide 36ers held firm on their decision.
“My practice is underpinned by my culture — which is hard to place value on, but that value definitely isn’t free tickets to a basketball game,” Close wrote on her Facebook page.
On Sunday, the Adelaide 36ers apologised and acknowledged its approach “was not done so in the appropriate manner.”
“In our learnings, we are extremely sorry for the hurt and offence we have caused to Elizabeth and her family and will ensure moving forward with these types of projects we do so in a way that is respectful.”
“The club has not yet finalised who the indigenous artist will be, but are happy to pay for the service or accept a volunteer service, depending on the wishes of the artist.”
The artist, who also designed the Adelaide Thunderbirds indigenous dress earlier this year, told The Advertiser paying artists in “exposure” instead of money is sadly “not unusual”.
“What made this particularly distasteful was the fact that they wanted to put the design on the uniform, get lots of media attention around it … to use the Aboriginal design to signal to the wider community their commitment to reconciliation,” she said.
“Yet they were prepare to exploit (an) Aboriginal artist in the process to do it.
“The irony of that is absolutely outstanding.”
This was not the first time Close was asked to work without pay. In 2017, Qantas received backlash after asking the Adelaide-based artist to paint for “exposure”, incidentally during NAIDOC week.
Close said she shared her story online to prevent other emerging artists from being exploited.
“I think we need to highlight unethical behaviour like this and call it out,” she said.
Close’s also paints public murals including at Tea Tree Plaza and the new Lights Community and Sports Centre on Hampstead Rd, which was in partnership with Thomas Readett.