This artist wants culture valued beyond NAIDOC Week

The Advertiser

05-07-2025

Each year the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are recognised during NAIDOC Week.
This year marks 50 years of the national celebration and features the theme The next generation: strength, vision and legacy.
Awards and flag-raising ceremonies, community events and art exhibitions are held across the country during each edition of NAIDOC, with local councils, businesses and popular brand names taking the opportunity to showcase First Nations culture.
For Wiradjuri artist Brandi Salmon, the uptick in commercial and community interest ahead of NAIDOC Week is something she braces for each year.
She's grateful for the platform this attention can provide for her and fellow artists but Salmon says it can also be disheartening.
"A lot of businesses come right at NAIDOC when they need something done or need an Aboriginal artist to come and paint for them or teach their staff," she told AAP
"But it's very inauthentic."
"They'll come maybe three or four days or a week before NAIDOC and it feels like it's an afterthought, like a tokenistic thing."
After teaching herself how to paint 10 years ago, Salmon has made her name as an artist with her work featured at Hobart Airport and painting for musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde.
She started painting portraits of Aboriginal women as a way to express herself and connect to her culture while living off-Country in Victoria.
Now Hobart-based, she's embraced many opportunities but has also found herself having to make the difficult decision to turn down jobs that don't feel right.
"In the past I've been asked at NAIDOC to sit in the foyer and do dot paintings with staff, with earbuds," she said.
"That's not even the art that I do. I don't do dot paintings."
Salmon says many artists have similar stories, with some asked to create work or speak at events for free or asked to recommend another artist for a collaboration.
As NAIDOC Week 2025 kicks off on Sunday, Salmon encourages businesses to do the right thing by artists, saying Aboriginal culture should be valued at all times of the year.
But for those who want to make meaningful engagements with First Nations artists she has some pointers.
She says using the Australian Indigenous Design Charter as a framework for approaching an artist would be a "green flag" for her.
The charter outlines 10 points for working on projects representing First Nations culture, including ensuring the process is Indigenous-led, respecting community protocols and ensuring respectful, culturally-specific and personal engagement.
"Approaching (artists) more than a week before NAIDOC is important- you need to make it a few months - and also ask what their rates are," she said.
"Don't underpay them."
Each year the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are recognised during NAIDOC Week.
This year marks 50 years of the national celebration and features the theme The next generation: strength, vision and legacy.
Awards and flag-raising ceremonies, community events and art exhibitions are held across the country during each edition of NAIDOC, with local councils, businesses and popular brand names taking the opportunity to showcase First Nations culture.
For Wiradjuri artist Brandi Salmon, the uptick in commercial and community interest ahead of NAIDOC Week is something she braces for each year.
She's grateful for the platform this attention can provide for her and fellow artists but Salmon says it can also be disheartening.
"A lot of businesses come right at NAIDOC when they need something done or need an Aboriginal artist to come and paint for them or teach their staff," she told AAP
"But it's very inauthentic."
"They'll come maybe three or four days or a week before NAIDOC and it feels like it's an afterthought, like a tokenistic thing."
After teaching herself how to paint 10 years ago, Salmon has made her name as an artist with her work featured at Hobart Airport and painting for musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde.
She started painting portraits of Aboriginal women as a way to express herself and connect to her culture while living off-Country in Victoria.
Now Hobart-based, she's embraced many opportunities but has also found herself having to make the difficult decision to turn down jobs that don't feel right.
"In the past I've been asked at NAIDOC to sit in the foyer and do dot paintings with staff, with earbuds," she said.
"That's not even the art that I do. I don't do dot paintings."
Salmon says many artists have similar stories, with some asked to create work or speak at events for free or asked to recommend another artist for a collaboration.
As NAIDOC Week 2025 kicks off on Sunday, Salmon encourages businesses to do the right thing by artists, saying Aboriginal culture should be valued at all times of the year.
But for those who want to make meaningful engagements with First Nations artists she has some pointers.
She says using the Australian Indigenous Design Charter as a framework for approaching an artist would be a "green flag" for her.
The charter outlines 10 points for working on projects representing First Nations culture, including ensuring the process is Indigenous-led, respecting community protocols and ensuring respectful, culturally-specific and personal engagement.
"Approaching (artists) more than a week before NAIDOC is important- you need to make it a few months - and also ask what their rates are," she said.
"Don't underpay them."
Each year the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are recognised during NAIDOC Week.
This year marks 50 years of the national celebration and features the theme The next generation: strength, vision and legacy.
Awards and flag-raising ceremonies, community events and art exhibitions are held across the country during each edition of NAIDOC, with local councils, businesses and popular brand names taking the opportunity to showcase First Nations culture.
For Wiradjuri artist Brandi Salmon, the uptick in commercial and community interest ahead of NAIDOC Week is something she braces for each year.
She's grateful for the platform this attention can provide for her and fellow artists but Salmon says it can also be disheartening.
"A lot of businesses come right at NAIDOC when they need something done or need an Aboriginal artist to come and paint for them or teach their staff," she told AAP
"But it's very inauthentic."
"They'll come maybe three or four days or a week before NAIDOC and it feels like it's an afterthought, like a tokenistic thing."
After teaching herself how to paint 10 years ago, Salmon has made her name as an artist with her work featured at Hobart Airport and painting for musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde.
She started painting portraits of Aboriginal women as a way to express herself and connect to her culture while living off-Country in Victoria.
Now Hobart-based, she's embraced many opportunities but has also found herself having to make the difficult decision to turn down jobs that don't feel right.
"In the past I've been asked at NAIDOC to sit in the foyer and do dot paintings with staff, with earbuds," she said.
"That's not even the art that I do. I don't do dot paintings."
Salmon says many artists have similar stories, with some asked to create work or speak at events for free or asked to recommend another artist for a collaboration.
As NAIDOC Week 2025 kicks off on Sunday, Salmon encourages businesses to do the right thing by artists, saying Aboriginal culture should be valued at all times of the year.
But for those who want to make meaningful engagements with First Nations artists she has some pointers.
She says using the Australian Indigenous Design Charter as a framework for approaching an artist would be a "green flag" for her.
The charter outlines 10 points for working on projects representing First Nations culture, including ensuring the process is Indigenous-led, respecting community protocols and ensuring respectful, culturally-specific and personal engagement.
"Approaching (artists) more than a week before NAIDOC is important- you need to make it a few months - and also ask what their rates are," she said.
"Don't underpay them."
Each year the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are recognised during NAIDOC Week.
This year marks 50 years of the national celebration and features the theme The next generation: strength, vision and legacy.
Awards and flag-raising ceremonies, community events and art exhibitions are held across the country during each edition of NAIDOC, with local councils, businesses and popular brand names taking the opportunity to showcase First Nations culture.
For Wiradjuri artist Brandi Salmon, the uptick in commercial and community interest ahead of NAIDOC Week is something she braces for each year.
She's grateful for the platform this attention can provide for her and fellow artists but Salmon says it can also be disheartening.
"A lot of businesses come right at NAIDOC when they need something done or need an Aboriginal artist to come and paint for them or teach their staff," she told AAP
"But it's very inauthentic."
"They'll come maybe three or four days or a week before NAIDOC and it feels like it's an afterthought, like a tokenistic thing."
After teaching herself how to paint 10 years ago, Salmon has made her name as an artist with her work featured at Hobart Airport and painting for musicians Olivia Rodrigo and Lorde.
She started painting portraits of Aboriginal women as a way to express herself and connect to her culture while living off-Country in Victoria.
Now Hobart-based, she's embraced many opportunities but has also found herself having to make the difficult decision to turn down jobs that don't feel right.
"In the past I've been asked at NAIDOC to sit in the foyer and do dot paintings with staff, with earbuds," she said.
"That's not even the art that I do. I don't do dot paintings."
Salmon says many artists have similar stories, with some asked to create work or speak at events for free or asked to recommend another artist for a collaboration.
As NAIDOC Week 2025 kicks off on Sunday, Salmon encourages businesses to do the right thing by artists, saying Aboriginal culture should be valued at all times of the year.
But for those who want to make meaningful engagements with First Nations artists she has some pointers.
She says using the Australian Indigenous Design Charter as a framework for approaching an artist would be a "green flag" for her.
The charter outlines 10 points for working on projects representing First Nations culture, including ensuring the process is Indigenous-led, respecting community protocols and ensuring respectful, culturally-specific and personal engagement.
"Approaching (artists) more than a week before NAIDOC is important- you need to make it a few months - and also ask what their rates are," she said.
"Don't underpay them."