It was the third exhibition of its kind in the gallery’s history, and it drew in artistic talent from all across the region.

On the opening day it also drew in large crowds, including the children from Griffith North Public who came to perform an Aboriginal dance.

Gallery curator Raymond Wholohan said he never imagined the Aboriginal art exhibitions would become so popular when he ran the first one in 2016.

“The first one really struck a chord with the community, so we decided to do it every year,” Mr Wholohan said. “They’ve been a huge success.”

This year’s art exhibition largely featured artwork from the Murrumbidgee Art Kinship Enterprise MAKE group in Darlington Point.

The group meets at every Friday to hone their artistic talents under the guidance of Murrumbidgee Council artist Kerri Weymouth.

Ms Weymouth runs the art workshops as part of the Creative Ageing Program, which was made possible by a Waddi Aboriginal housing grant.

“It’s not just about the art; it’s about being part of the community and having that friendship circle so you can have a yarn while doing some painting,” Ms Weymouth said.

“The process of making art is therapeutic, and it’s a very worthwhile project.”

She worked in collaboration with Western Riverina Arts, which helped run the exhibition.

The group’s regional arts development officer Derek Motion said he was happy to see more local Aboriginal talent getting the chance to shine through.

“A key priority for Western Riverina Arts is to promote the work of our local Aboriginal artists, and also to help facilitate skills development opportunities,” Mr Motion said.

Murru is a Wiradjuri word that refers to mark-making, and Mr Motion said the Aboriginal people had made a big mark in the local art community. 

“Each artist making work for this exhibition is engaged in making a mark- telling a story, engaging with culture, communicating via marks that could outlive us all.”