Uncle Jack painting unveiled

A PORTRAIT of actor and Bunurong, Wiradjuri, and Dja Dja Wurrung man Uncle Jack Charles will be going on show at the Ulumbarra Theatre.

Created by 19-year-old Goornong-based Wiradjuri artist Keira Long, the City of Greater Bendigo purchased the artwork and subsequently reproduced it on a banner that will hang outside of the Capital.

Charles was an actor, comedian, musician, and activist who provided support to prisoners at the Ulumbarra when it was a jail.

Long said he greatly impacted her dad when he was in prison.

“The big influence he had on mob, especially in the prisons. He helped my dad directly,” she said. “He was a really good mentor for the Aboriginal prisoners in jail.

“The encouragement he gave towards my father really impacted him positively. It’s actually my dad’s favourite artwork I’ve done.”

Long said she tries to tell a person’s story with her artwork.

“I think being very close to culture and being able to continue storytelling is really important for culture and mobs,” she said.

“I hope that my artwork is able to continue on his legacy and for everything he did do not only for prisoners but also for community and the LGBT community, I think as long as that is impacted from my artwork.”

First Nations arts officer for the City of Greater Bendigo, Janet Bromley, said hanging the work at the Ulumbarra was part of an ongoing effort to acknowledge First Nation cultures in the area.

“Uncle Jack was an amazing man,” she said. “In particular he was interested in young people and he just inspired people.

“There have been no visible signs of First Nations people within this area until recently.

“Over the last 10 years that has changed a lot and First Nations art has come into itself, both through Dja Dja Wurrung and through all the other First Nations artists.”