Art Building History

Coming Soon Art Centre History

The Mantingunya Art Centre was a roadhouse that sold groceries, hardware, clothing. It had been through many hands of private buyers and even in 2014 through the hands of Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Cooperation (WDLAC). WDLAC than sold the building to a private buyer to which the building has sat empty all these years, from 2014 to 2021.

Early Days....

In late 2021, the roadhouse was brought buy another private buyer who was looking for expressions of interest to lease the Roadhouse. After having gone through our due diligence to set ourselves up as a legit Association, we expressed interest. As a any small, and new association, we had no funding to be able to lease. Luckily, our local mining company NOVO Resources stepped in. We had a goal together to buy the roadhouse, how clever we ended up coming to an agreement of a 2 year lease instead.

Little renovation....

As we hit our year 1 lease mark, we had been getting dirty and bringing the roadhouse back to life after all these years. Almost everyone in the community has put their hand up into some volunteering work for the Mantingunya Art Centre and it has been amazing. Some say its the most united the Nullagine Community has ever been. NOVO Resouces AGAIN has been a huge and consistent support to us. Helping with community events, small building renovation work, transport and logistics, equipment supply, and much more. We definitely couldn't have gotten this for without them.

Almost there....

On the 29 Sep 2022, we celebrated a small unofficial and temporary opening. A time which brang the community together, and attracting people from nearby towns and remote communities. Though we aren't open officially, we celebrate how far we have come to this point. With only a box or two to tick we're almost there, we keep moving forward till it is done. We have not come this far, to come this far, we go till the Art Centre is up and we still keep going.

Our hopes....

Though we are happy with our building this far. Mantingunya Arts & Cultural Centre hopes to have their own building by the time our lease finishes around October, 2023. Whether that means we buy the building after lease or we build somewhere else in Nullagine. Either way, this is our hope.

To this day, The Mantingunya Arts & Culture Centre has no funding, everything that has been done this far from inside the Association has all been volunteer work from locals. We hope to find and connect with the right in people in order to financially enhance the biggest community development project in Nullagine history.