An Aboriginal arts centre accused of having non-Indigenous arts workers meddling with Indigenous art has been cleared of breaching consumer laws by the corporate watchdog.
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The APY Art Centre Collective has strongly rejected the allegations, first published in The Australian newspaper in 2023. But the claims sent shockwaves through the Aboriginal art industry and dented gallery sales.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found no breaches of consumer law after reviewing material from a South Australian government inquiry, as well as other evidence, ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said in a statement on Friday.
The APY Art Centre Collective has been cleared of accusations it allowed non-Indigenous arts workers to meddle with Indigenous art.Credit: Rohan Thomson
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Media coverage of the allegations had prompted discussions on the cultural and social issues around Anangu artwork and the management of community art studios, she said.
“These broader cultural issues fall outside the provisions of the Australian Consumer Law and the ACCC’s enforcement powers,” Lowe said.
Proposed federal legislation to protect Indigenous cultural and intellectual property might be a more suitable way to address these issues in future, she said.
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The APY Art Centre Collective works with artists from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands that spread across the northern part of South Australia.
The First Nations-owned collective markets the artworks of more than 500 Anangu artists through galleries in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
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