Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings facts for kids

The Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings (often called AGOD) is a special art gallery. It is located in Cheltenham, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Art collector Hank Ebes owns and runs this gallery. AGOD was one of the first galleries in Melbourne to focus only on Aboriginal art. It started small on Bourke Street, then moved to bigger places. Eventually, it found its current home in Cheltenham.

The Story of AGOD

The Aboriginal Gallery of Dreamings first opened its doors on Bourke Street in Melbourne. It was one of the very first galleries in the city to show only Aboriginal art. When it began, the gallery had a few hundred paintings. These artworks came from Aboriginal communities like Utopia and Alice Springs. They were part of the collection of Hank Ebes, who started the gallery.

Growing the Collection

As the collection grew, AGOD needed more space. In early 1990, the gallery moved to a larger spot on the same street. It stayed there until 2008. Over time, AGOD asked artists directly to create more than 12,500 paintings. These came from over 500 artists and many communities.

By 2001, AGOD needed even more room. So, they bought a large warehouse in Cheltenham. This new space was about 2,500 square meters. It was located about 30 minutes southeast of the city center. In 2008, the city gallery closed. AGOD then moved all its operations to the bigger, newly fixed-up building in Cheltenham.

By May 2019, AGOD had been open for 30 years. During this time, it had asked artists from Utopia, Northern Territory to create over 10,000 paintings.

The Emily Museum

In 2009, more than 200 artworks by a famous Aboriginal artist, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, were set aside. The idea was to create a museum in Melbourne just for her art. The gallery owners tried to get money from the government for this museum.

Opening and Closing

When they did not receive government funding, the Emily Museum opened in early 2013. It was located right next to AGOD in the Cheltenham gallery space. The museum showed a huge artwork called the "Emily Wall," which was 5 by 15 meters. It also featured paintings from Kngwarreye's Last Series. This was the first museum to focus on just one Aboriginal artist. However, the Emily Museum closed after three years.

Artists at AGOD

Many talented artists have had their work shown at AGOD. Some of these artists include:

• Pansy Napangardi
• Gloria Petyarre
• Four Pwerle sisters, including Minnie Pwerle and Angelina Pwerle
• Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri
• Timmy Payungka Tjapangati
• Billy Stockman Tjapaltjarri
• Barbara Weir