‘We won’t brush APY scandal under carpet’, says SA Arts Minister Andrea Michaels

The government minister driving an investigation into allegations of white interference in black artwork suspects some in the arts establishment ‘want us to brush it under the carpet’ but she has vowed to get to the truth.

NGA director Nick Mitzevich, APY Lands artist Sally Scales, South Australian Arts Minister Andrea Michaels and Wynne Prize winner Zaacariah Fielding at the APY ACC’s studio in Adelaide earlier this year.

The government minister driving an investigation into allegations of white interference in black artwork suspects some members of the arts establishment “want us to brush it under the carpet” but she has vowed to get to the truth for the vulnerable painters caught up in the scandal.

South Australia Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said all Indigenous artists deserve better, and they needed an explanation as to how a culture could evolve that would allow white studio staff at the APY Arts Centre Collective to allegedly intrude in the telling of ancient and sacred stories.

Confirming SA’s lead role in what is now a major government investigation, Ms Michaels said the terms of reference for the inquiry were being determined in consultations with the Northern Territory and federal governments and that process may take “some weeks”.

The investigation comes as a growing chorus of industry figures call for Skye O’Meara, the collective’s general manager, to resign or step aside, with two peak Indigenous arts bodies, Ku Arts and Desart, saying her continued presence at the helm of the APY ACC is causing immense harm to the entire industry.

Ms Michael promised the probe would be wide enough to ensure all allegations made by Indigenous artists, and others – regarding interference in art, fraud and bullying – to The Australian in a months-long investigation would be thoroughly examined.

“They are really serious alle­gations,” she said on Tuesday. “What we need to do in this process is make sure we are looking after the artists … involved in it because it is really worrying for them if these allegations prove to be correct.”

Ms Michaels said she suspected some in the arts establishment did not want the allegations to see the light of day. “There probably are certain people who want us to brush it under the carpet,” she said. “I don’t think we should. These are pretty vulnerable ­people at the centre of this and we just need to make sure we are looking after them.”

It appears the role of public institutions will be examined by the investigation, with NT Arts Minister Chansey Paech saying the probe would not shield the reputations of galleries and administrators but focus on protecting artists, livelihoods and culture.

Ms Michaels said the key reason for the inquiry – settled upon after she met with federal Arts Minister Tony Burke and Mr Paech earlier this week – was to defend the integrity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists whose reputations risked being unfairly damaged by the scandal.

“There is a flow-on effect,” Ms Michaels said. “The allegations in The Australian centre on the APY Arts Centre Collective but it is having an impact on other First Nations artists around the country. We need to make sure that that’s nipped in the bud.”

She added: “There is a sense, particularly in certain areas, of that shame, that cultural shame, when they are actually not caught up in this at all but they feel that shame. We need to make sure we are looking after the broader First Nations art community.”

Philip Watkins, the head of Desart, which represents dozens of central desert arts centres and thousands of artists, says Ms O’Meara must step aside for the duration of the investigation.

He also said intimidation of artists who had spoken out, after an incident was reported in The Australian where four people turned up at the house of artist Paul Andy, including a lawyer for the APY ACC, in an attempt to get him to recant his story, was disgraceful.

“In the context of a power relationship, (for an Indigenous man) to have a lawyer turn up at your house with others pressuring you is very intimidating,” he said.

“It is not acceptable and it demands a serious investigation.”

Mr Watkins also took aim at institutions, particularly the Nat­ional Gallery and the Art Gallery of South Australia, saying there appeared to be “collusion” when it came to their attempts to downplay the allegations.

He said any investigation needed to examine the culture of the APY ACC and how these allegedly unethical practices were allowed to flourish. “There needs to be a thorough investigation and … while that investigation is being conducted, at the very least, the senior management of the collective should stand down.”

Ms O’Meara did not respond to questions about her resigning, but an email from the board said: “Skye O’Meara has the board’s full support.”