During November of 2015 the Kimberley Training Institute (KTI) held its annual Student Art Exhibition in the Multi Purpose hall of Notre Dame. The exhibition contained almost three hundred individual works of art by multiple artists. At a time when the arts seems under attack from all quarters, the KTI remains only one of two TAFE training institutes to offer a visual arts program anywhere in Western Australia. The exhibition left you in no doubt about the magnitude of artistic talent surging through the veins of Broome. Read more
La Sagrada Familia is the last of the world's great buildings that has a construction spanning multiple generations, multiple centuries and multiple architects. The masterpiece and life work of Antoni Gaudi was envisaged in the mid 19th century, after a period of several decades of raising funds the project commenced late 19th century. The 20th century saw many challenges and obstacles such as the Spanish civil war and the early death of Gaudi.
Visual art is one of humanity's greatest forms of expression. It's our oldest and often our most misunderstood mode of communication. While its universally accessible and transendends spoken language, great art is born of the human condition and culture. In today's global village with blended cultures often its art that represents the uniquiness of a culture or region. Its art that is the authentic human cultural expression.
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A bower bird doesn't choose to collect and arrange the objects it’s found or stolen, it does so because that is its life. Nature’s greatest seducer is quite simply driven by its DNA.
It does, because it is. 
When we think of art, usually we conjure the image of an artist applying layers of paint to a canvas or paper to create an image. One Broome artist is creating complex designs and works of art by subtracting from paper rather than adding to it. Jacky Cheng is creating a body of work from paper. Each work consists of layers of individually hand cut and carved sheets of paper, each is beautifully designed. Many consist of complex fractal repetitions, others with sublime patterns. Her starting point is a single sheet of crisp white paper, which Cheng carves and cuts with a scalpel. A second sheet is then laid on top and the scalpel is once again applied. 
There is nothing like art to make you stop and contemplate. Recently I came across a portrait by an artist who is relatively new to Broome. The sitter is a young bearded man smartly dressed in a vest and tie. He has the steely gaze of someone who’s already grappled with much in life. He commands the centre of the canvas, and the canvas commands the centre of the space in which it’s placed. 
Visual art is a powerful
medium for communication. Throughout human history art has played a major role in recording, revering, protesting and interpreting human achievement.
It is often said that its culture that makes us human. I disagree, as there is evidence of animals displaying culture. I believe its art that makes
us human. It’s our ability to interpret the complex and abstract through simple line, colour and composition that sets us apart from the animal kingdom.
