Meagan Gerrard Wins IMAGinE Award for Excellence by an Aboriginal Curator
04-12-2024
Meagan Gerrard, a Gamillaraay and Wailwan woman, is the ACHAA IMAGinE Award for Outstanding Contribution by a NSW Aboriginal Curator recipient for her powerful exhibition Secrets of Dawn.
As project and communications manager of the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation and descendant of Coota Girls Survivor Aunty Lorraine Darcy Peeters, Meagan’s work provided a platform for the stories of the Coota Girls—former residents of the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls. Through a collaboration with Coota Girls survivors and descendants, Meagan used the lens of the Dawn magazine, a paternalistic propaganda tool of the NSW Aborigines Welfare Board, to tell the truth of the intergenerational trauma caused by forcible removal and assimilation policies.
Secrets of Dawn blended contemporary personal narratives and artworks with historical content, creating a moving and thought-provoking experience that offered profound insights into the healing journey of the Coota Girls and their families. Meagan’s dedication to truth-telling and cultural resilience has helped preserve and amplify the voices of Aboriginal women and families affected by Australia’s history of colonisation.
“We congratulate Meagan Gerrard and the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation for their impactful truth-telling work,” ACHAA’s Chairperson, Jeanette Crew shared. “The sharing of the story of the Coota Girls is part of a commitment to truth-telling, central to furthering understanding and respect for Aboriginal history and culture.”
Aleisha Lonsdale’s Guwayu: for all time Recognised with Highly Commended Award
In addition to Meagan Gerrard’s win, Wiradjuri woman Aleisha Lonsdale received Highly Commended recognition for her exhibition Guwayu: for all time. This poignant exhibition explored the parallel experiences of Aboriginal people living with the impact of dispossession, extermination and assimilation, and honoured the resistance of the broader First Nations peoples through activism and cultural practice. “Aleisha’s work continues to inspire, and we are proud to celebrate her contributions”, added Jeanette.
As always, there was a highly competitive field of nominations, five in all, with the other nominees being:
Dr Mariko Smith, Yuin, Her Name is Nanny Nellie, Australian Museum
Keith Munro, Gamilaraay, Esme Timbery and Family Artist Room, Museum of Contemporary Art
Kyra Kum-Sing, Malera Bandjalan, Celebrating 50 Years of the Aboriginal Housing Company, Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative/Mangejup Arts and Cultural Centre
Aboriginal curators were also recognised in the open sections of the Museums and Galleries of NSW annual IMAGinE Awards with Mariko Smith receiving on behalf of the Australian Museum in the Exhibition Projects – Major Metropolitan Institutions Award for Her Name is Nanny Nellie, and Nicole Chaffey and the Murrook Culture Centre being Highly Commended in the Exhibition Projects Museums and Heritage – Small Organisations category.
Celebrating the Aboriginal Arts and Cultural Sector
The IMAGinE Awards, organised by Museums & Galleries NSW, serve as an important platform for recognising the creativity, resilience, and community impact of museums, galleries, and Aboriginal cultural centres across New South Wales. Brett Adlington, CEO of Museums & Galleries of NSW, emphasised the importance of celebrating the efforts of the cultural sector, which strengthens the cultural landscape, enhancing the well-being of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities alike.
“The IMAGinE Awards continue to celebrate and champion the extraordinary efforts of our cultural sector,” said Adlington. “The work recognised this year reflects an inspiring commitment to creativity, inclusivity, and community impact.”
The ACHAA IMAGinE Awards provides an opportunity to celebrates excellence in Aboriginal arts and culture, and the vital role Aboriginal cultural leaders and curators play in shaping the future of museum and gallery exhibitions, highlighting First Nations First priorities in action across the entire NSW arts, culture and heritage sector.
Cover Image: Meagan Gerrard receiving the IMAGinE Award, presented by Alison Williams of Wadjar Ragional Gallery/Yarrawarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Photo by Jacquie Manning, courtesy of Museums & Galleries of NSW.
