Emma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The greater Penrith region is where it's at. My community is bursting at the seams with talent and skill, and I am very, very proud to represent them. The sixth annual ARTWEST St Marys art and craft exhibition took place on 1 June at the St Mary's Community Centre and showcased the absolute best the arts has to offer in my community. The event was attended by over 150 locals and showcased 90 artworks from right across our community. ARTWEST St Marys art and craft exhibition is a great avenue for all of our local artists and those from wider Western Sydney, fine arts students, school students, artisans and craftspeople, to annually showcase their work in different artistic mediums. The exhibition aims to provide local artists with an opportunity to exhibit and sell their work and become involved in the planning and implementation of the event. This arts based initiative provides community members with a platform to inspire others through art and enhance individual wellbeing, self-esteem and confidence, building our community and participation, and also, of course, skills development through project management and installation of art works.

It's a well-known fact that Western Sydney only receives one per cent of this government's arts funding, and generally we have a higher population than anywhere else in New South Wales in the greater Western Sydney region. To get only one per cent of the arts funding sees local artists suffer. The investment in the arts and culture in our region is incredibly low. We need to fight for local talent, local artists and local culture. I will fight for more investment for arts and culture in the greater Western Sydney region. Unlike many other industries, the arts will not be disrupted with the advent of the new technology age.

ARTWEST is more than just an exhibition. It's a movement to encourage artists to be proud of the work they create, to feel a sense of accomplishment in seeing their work on display and to be proud of their community in doing so. I was in awe of the people who created artworks across a range of mixed media. The ability to express themselves in such a creative way is such a gift, and in comparison to my stick figure doodles I'm completely envious of the talents that were showcased there on the night. We hear a lot about the jobs and growth of the future, but the advent of smart technology will not adversely affect the flourishing growth of the creative arts. That will be one of the sectors least affected.

The exhibition showcases the growth and the need for investment that this requires, particularly in areas that fall out of the inner city suburbs. ARTWEST showcased a feature artist, Geoff Sellman, who was one of four Indigenous artists to win the 2018 NAIDOC art award and to have his artwork featured in clothing company Lifewear Australia's NAIDOC 2018 collection. Geoff is an emerging artist practising in Western Sydney with traditional training from his Bunda Bunda tribal community in Bundaberg, Queensland. His art piece, named Her Opal Spirit, which was a tribute to his aunty Vi, paid homage to the theme, 'Because of her we can'. I would like to place on record my thanks to Karen Brown, Adnan Begic, Jan Needham, Peter Gonzales and Lisa Kolosovs, who have all been involved and tirelessly working towards this.

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