Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra; Many Hands Art & Gifts is proudly Aboriginal owned and operated and is situated at the Desert Park, right on the doorstep of Alice Springs and the Western MacDonnell Ranges. The organisation started operating in 2004, as an art centre established to provide a place for Arrernte Artists to come together to paint, share and learn new techniques and ideas. The art centre was located on the west side of Alice Springs.
In November 2012 the Ngurratjuta board decided to offer their artists greater exposure by acquiring the Desert Park Art & Gifts shop, while representing the artists from this popular Central Australian park. Ngurratjuta supports a range of well established contemporary watercolour and acrylic artists who frequently exhibit interstate, as well as many new and emerging artists who are developing their skills. We produce four specific styles of art including, watercolours, traditional dot style, na�¯ve style and the more contemporary style paintings. The artworks tell many different stories and are completed in a variety of techniques including, intricate and subtle brush strokes, distinct and detailed dot work as well as broad and often bold freestyle use of acrylic paints and colours.
We currently support over 300 artists with a special focus on encouraging the â??Hermannsburg Schoolâ?? style watercolour artists, who continue to paint in the tradition of their grandfather, Albert Namatjira, arguably one of Australiaâ??s most famous artists of the 20th century. Albert Namatjira taught his children to follow in his unique style, who have since passed this knowledge on to their children, which has resonated in a legacy of watercolour artists in the Central Desert region. By continuing his legacy, these artists sustain an important piece of living history.
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