Embattled APY group expelled from Indigenous Art Code

It comes after a months-long investigation by The Australian revealed claims by APYACC studio staff and artists that white staff painted substantial sections of Indigenous paintings.

Skye O'Meara.

The embattled APY Arts Centre Collective has been expelled from the Indigenous Art Code (IartC), the industry body tasked with policing ethical standards in the sector.

The exact reasons for the “termination” of its membership are not known, with a spokesman for the organisation saying on Monday the “APY Arts Centre Collective’s membership of the Indigenous Art Code has been terminated”, but not giving further details.

In a statement the APYACC said it had “received notification its membership of the Indigenous Art Code has been revoked”.

It added: “APYACC stands ready to participate in independent inquiries into untested allegations concerning APYACC published in The Australian. We are confident in our ability to demonstrate the falsity of these allegations in any investigation in which they are appropriately put to us, with due process and natural justice.”

The Australian understands IartC had been conducting a long-running investigation into the practices within the Collective and that last week the board, made up of leading industry figures, met and decided to terminate its membership.

It comes after a months-long investigation by The Australian revealed claims by APYACC studio staff and artists that white staff painted substantial sections of Indigenous paintings, including when the artists were not in the studio. Allegations of white hands in Indigenous art at the APYACC studios have rocked the national art world, led to a tri-government probe and resulted in the National Gallery of Australia indefinitely delaying an exhibition of APY art that was to be its signature winter show.

It is believed the IartC’s investigation centred on the poor treatment of artists who painted in the Collective’s studios and other unethical practices.

While the Indigenous Art Code would not divulge the exact reasons for terminating the Collective’s membership, the board had determined the organisation, managed by controversial white administrator Skye O’Meara, had seriously breached ethical standards.

On its website, the IartC cites examples of conduct that would not meet the required standard, including: undue pressure and influence, including threats; not acting in good faith, and; unfairly taking advantage of or exploiting artists.

It also says its members must not make false or misleading representations about the provenance or authenticity of an artwork and they must adhere to Indigenous cultural practices.

It is believed the Indigenous Art Code had been conducting its investigation at the same time as The Australian had been conducting its long-running investigation into alleged unethical practices.

An owner of an Indigenous art gallery said it was “hugely damaging” to the APYACC to be sanctioned by the industry’s ethical watchdog in such a manner, “especially for an organisation that has put itself forward as an ethical standard bearer for the industry. I can’t see now how anyone would want to buy their paintings now”.

The APYACC’s expulsion from the Indigenous Art Code is also a major embarrassment for some of our major institutions, including the Art Gallery of South Australia and National Gallery of Australia.

No whitewash in APY Lands Aboriginal art scandal

NGA director Nick Mitzevich had been an enthusiastic supporter of the APYACC, and the NGA was to hold a major exhibition of paintings produced in the APYACC’s studios.

That has been delayed indefinitely while the NGA conducts a probe into the provenance of the paintings.

The South Australian government, with the backing of the federal and Northern Territory governments, is also to conduct an investigation into the alleged unethical practices within the APYACC.

The four peak bodies representing thousands of Aboriginal artists, and every Indigenous art centre in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia, have called upon APYACC manager Ms O’Meara to step down. However, it appears she has dug in.

An APYACC statement said IartC had taken action against it “without any appropriate investigation and without regard to due process or natural justice”.

“Our request, for the IartC to put allegations to us with precision for APYACC to be able to fairly respond to them, was denied.

“The IartC’s prejudgment in relation to these untested allegations is extremely premature.

“We joined IartC as a foundation member in the hope of improving from within the very serious issues of blatant exploitation of Indigenous artists present in our industry.”

The Collective has now been “terminated” from the organisation for allegedly exploiting Indigenous artists.