![HEAL COUNTRY: Armada Bathurst operations manager Paul French [second from left] and artist Birrunga Wiradyuri [second from right] with Bathurst's Wiradyuri elders. Photo: SAM BOLT](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/xry9xtRQu9u36zRV2j5976/4a8a53a1-633a-4ce6-b15f-d89ebc29e144.JPG/r0_51_4608_3072_w576_h298_fmax.webp "HEAL COUNTRY: Armada Bathurst operations manager Paul French [second from left] and artist Birrunga Wiradyuri [second from right] with Bathurst's Wiradyuri elders. Photo: SAM BOLT")
The work of Wiradyuri artist Birrunga Wiradyuri on display at the Bathurst Winter Festival has struck such a chord with a local shopping centre manager that he's invited the artist to exhibit his works as part of NAIDOC Week.
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Armada Shopping Centre Bathurst operations manager Paul French attended the opening night of the festival on sponsorship duty [Armada Opening Night], and said he was moved by the smoking ceremony and Birrunga's artwork illuminated in George Street.
"We've invited Birrunga to showcase his works in the centre [outside Kmart] as a means to continue the conversation and gain a greater understanding of this community's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander significance," Mr French said.
"This centre is a central part of the community, and our Wiradyuri history forms part of the history of the ground this site sits on."
Birrunga said the five original works featured in the display are included in his festival illumination.
"The works attend to the 'heal country' theme for this year's NAIDOC Week celebrations, and to have my elders, Bathurst's traditional owners, here today for a Welcome to Country is an amazing honour," he said.
"It's a great way to further engage with the community and tell our stories, and it perfectly complements the purpose of not only NAIDOC, but our cultural responsibility in building community."
Birrunga's works will be on display outside Kmart throughout the duration of NAIDOC Week, which runs until Sunday, July 11.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
