Yarrenyty Arltere

Rhonda was born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1977. She lived sometimes at Kwale Kwale and sometimes at Trucking Yards Town Camp where she went to Yipirinya School. Rhonda discovered her interest and passion for making soft sculptures when she followed her aunty Dulcie Sharpe into the art room one day. From initially watching the other artists around her, Rhonda has over the years, developed her skills, style and subject matter to reflect her own personal journey. From delicate stitched creatures to figures that depict profoundly honest personal stories, Rhonda’s works celebrates her love for her art, her family, country, and storytelling.

Louise was born in 1984. She is a Walpari women who grew up in Yuendumu, west of Alice Springs with her grandma. She loved living there as a child and going on bush trips with her grandma: hearing stories about country and collecting bush tucker. Her father’s country is Mina Mina in WA.

When Robertson was about 8 years old, she moved to Alice Springs to live with her mother. She still lives in Alice Springs to this day, now with her husband and 5 children.

Robertson said that she came into the art room one day to see what her mother-in-law, Dulcie Sharpe and all the other ladies were doing. She decided she wanted to be part of making and learning and so she started coming every day. At first, she was nervous, but then Dulcie taught her how to sew and now she loves it. She says she keeps trying new things and thinking about what to sew when she is at home. She wants to keep coming to the art room and getting better by making soft sculptures of people and animals. She wants people to feel happy when they look at her work, like she feels happy when she is making it. She wants people to see how beautiful the desert is and how beautiful the people that live here are.

Marlene was born in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1960 and grew up at Amoonguna community, east of Alice Springs where she went to school. Marlene is the daughter of Wenton Rubuntja the well-known painter and activist. It was her father who fought for the rights of people to settle Town Camps in Alice Springs. Marlene is proud to call Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp home. Marlene learnt to sew at Yirara College, Alice Springs, however she only began making soft sculptures at Yarrenyty Arltere in 2009. She says she draws inspiration for her soft sculptures and her works on paper from what she sees around her in her daily life at Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp. She also draws inspiration from her father’s country and from her husband’s country at Wave Hill. Marlene is interested in telling proudly the stories of her people; her art is helping her to do this.

Rosabella was born in the Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 1975. She grew up at White Gate community with all her family, her grandfathers, aunties, and uncles. Her grandfather’s country is Little Well, Ross River way. When she was 12, she moved with her family to Santa Teresa so she could go to school. At 16 she moved back to White Gate to get married and to have her first child. Now she has six children and 2 grandchildren. She says she grew all her children up out bush at No 5 Community west of Alice Springs. Ryder now lives at Yarrenyty Arltere Town Camp and is happy coming to sew and work. It is a new feeling for her she says, to be thinking about making things every day. She is proud of her children and her art.

Dulcie Sharpe was born at Kwale Kwale (Jay Creek), but spent many years growing up at Hamilton Downs Station. Her mother was from Papunya and she is a Luritja speaker. Dulcie went to school at Kwale Kwale and says her happiest memories are playing every day after school in the bush and swimming when there was water. It was Dulcie’s grandmother, Old Laddie, who taught her everything about culture: how to find honey ants, bush tucker, dancing, language. Dulcie has been coming to the Yarrenyty Arltere Learning Centre since 2000 when she helped set it up as a place for her community to get well again from the chronic social issues it was facing. Dulcie wanted to create a safe place for the kids and adults to find new pathways into the future by holding on strongly to culture and learning together. Dulcie says she loves sewing. She sews after work on the weekend and even in hospital. Dulcie also makes limited edition etchings. She is a respected elder of the community and a positive role model for other artists.