The APY Art Centre Collective and its member art centres are Indigenous-owned businesses governed by an Indigenous board of directors, meaning they are rooted in principles of self-determination.

They are not-for-profit organisations that participate in transparent reporting and annual independent audits to ensure the highest level of financial integrity. Art centres provide rare employment opportunities in remote and regional areas, allowing for much needed independent income for artists and artworkers of all ages. Buying Aboriginal art from an Indigenous-owned art centre directly supports artists from remote and regional Australia with income and agency that is to the benefit of individuals, families, and whole communities. 

For remote Indigenous artists in particular, there are two distinct business models operating in the industry today. Both models engage in the production and sale of artwork – one being the art centre model outlined above and the other, a ‘private’ or ‘painting shed’ model. 

Support Indigenous-owned businesses by purchasing direct from art centre owned galleries, or third-party galleries that are exclusive to the art centre model.

ART CENTRE MODEL VERSUS PRIVATE OR PAINTING SHED MODEL, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

APY Art Centre model

• 100% Indigenous-owned and governed. 
• Income is directly returned to artists and their art centre businesses, which significantly impacts social challenges in communities.
• The goal of the art centre is to maximise the return of income to artists and communities. 
• The impact of money returned to communities through art centres is far-reaching. Many individuals in remote and regional communities live below the poverty line, so painting money is food money. An artist’s income goes a long way towards feeding many family members, which is aligned with a broader cultural value system that prioritises shared resources and values.
• APY art centres are the primary source of non-government income in remote and regional communities.

PRIVATE / PAINTER SHED MODEL

• Predominately owned by non-indigenous people.
• The goal of the private dealer is to maximise profit for the dealers.

APY Art Centre model

• Art centres are accessible for participation by all community members, they do not turn artists away.

PRIVATE DEALER MODEL

• As a private business, private painting sheds can pick and choose artists who paint for them. 
• They often poach high profile artists from community art centres and do little to support young and emerging artists.

APY Art Centre model

• In remote communities, art centres are the primary source of non-government income and the only source of ‘real’ jobs that provide meaningful training, skills development, and pathways to sustainable employment. 
• Art centres often support 6-20 indigenous staff working each day, with Indigenous staff in many diverse roles, including studio support, drivers, interpreters, building and vehicle maintenance, administrative support, and cleaners. 
• Indigenous staff are supported with professional development and training opportunities across all areas of art centre operation and artists are also supported to travel to their exhibitions across Australia and internationally..

PRIVATE DEALER MODEL

• Indigenous employment is not supported outside of securing artists to paint for profit. 
• They do not offer training and professional development opportunities to Indigenous staff.

APY Art Centre model

• Art centres work with full financial transparency. 
• Art centres are exposed to annual independent financial audits published on the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC) website each year. 
• Without these annual audits, art centres cannot receive the government funding that supports art centre operations. 
• ORIC staff regularly visit art centres to check financial reporting.

PRIVATE DEALER MODEL

• Private dealers have no requirements for financial transparency. They do not work with any formalised measures of financial and moral accountability.

APY Art Centre model

• Art centre staff are paid to industry standards and are subject to performance reviews by industry peak bodies.
• Do not receive bonuses based on the success of the organisation.

PRIVATE DEALER MODEL

• Private dealers salaries are not required to align with industry standards, and are not subject to industry standard performance reviews.
• Staff can receive bonuses based on the success of the organisation.

If you would like to purchase ethical artwork produced under the art centre model explained above, you can:

1. Buy indigenous artwork online directly from the APY Store.
2. Buy artwork in person from one of the three APY galleries, located in Adelaide, Sydney or Melbourne.
3. Buy from a third party gallery, providing the answer to the following two questions are YES: Does the gallery have an exhibition or consignment with an art centre? And has the work been sourced directly from that art centre?