A PORTRAIT of actor and Bunurong, Wiradjuri, and Dja Dja Wurrung man Uncle Jack Charles will be going on show at the Ulumbarra Theatre.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Charles was an actor, comedian, musician, and activist who provided support to prisoners at the Ulumbarra when it was a jail.<\/p>\n
Long said he greatly impacted her dad when he was in prison.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big influence he had on mob, especially in the prisons. He helped my dad directly,\u201d she said. \u201cHe was a really good mentor for the Aboriginal prisoners in jail.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe encouragement he gave towards my father really impacted him positively. It\u2019s actually my dad\u2019s favourite artwork I\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long said she tries to tell a person\u2019s story with her artwork.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think being very close to culture and being able to continue storytelling is really important for culture and mobs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cUncle Jack was an amazing man,\u201d she said. \u201cIn particular he was interested in young people and he just inspired people.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have been no visible signs of First Nations people within this area until recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n