The Artists
Elsie Pananka
Elsie was born and grew up on Alcoota Station and as a young woman worked at Mt Riddick, the adjoining cattle station, before marrying and moving back to Alcoota.
Mary Tilmouth
Mary was born and grew up in the Northern Territory in the Central Desert and lived with her family at Alcoota Station where she was introduced to painting at the age of thirteen by her Aunty. Her sisters and father are also artists. She moved to Engawala Community in 1980 where she still lives with her family.
Shirley Dixon
Shirley was born at the old Alcoota settlement close to where the 9 million year old mega fauna fossils were found. She now lives in Engawala Community. She was only a young girl when they started to clear out an area to build a community and Shirley helped the older people. Engawala Community is located North-East of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
Thelma Dixon
Thelma was born at the old Alcoota settlement. She now lives in Engawala Community along with her family who are artists as well. When she lived at Utopia she used to paint for Tim who collected artworks for Mbantua gallery in Alice Springs. Thelma became involved in the Engawala Art Centre in 2020.
Joy Turner
Joy Turner is the Traditional Owner for Engawala Community. Born in 1953, not far away at Bushy Park on the Plenty Highway, she has always lived in Engawala. Joy has been creating art since she was a young woman. There are other artists in her family including her mother, who was her biggest influence, from whom she Iearnt how to paint.
Bronwyn Payne
Bronwyn Payne was born at Alcoota back in 1970 before moving to Engawala where she is living now. Most of her family members are artists as well. Her aunty was a batik artist and it inspired Bronwyn to do art. She started to make art when she was just a young girl.
Maryanne Tilmouth
Maryanne was born and raised at Alcoota Station in the Central Desert Region of the Northern Territory. She then moved to Engawala Community where she now lives with her family and is an active painter at the Engawala Art Centre.
Elizabeth Dixon
Elizabeth grew up at Alcoota Station in the Northern Territory Central Desert Region, when she was a teenager she moved to Engawala Community with her family where she still lives today. Elizabeth's mother was her biggest influence in life, introducing her to painting at an early age.
Maureen Dixon
Maureen was born at Alcoota in 1976 then later moved to Engawala when she was a young girl along with her families. She grew up around Engawala and Utopia.
Dianne Dixon
Dianne was born in Alice Springs Hospital. She grew up in Engawala and Utopia. Dianne lives in Engawala with her family who are artists as well. At 15 years old she enrolled at Yirara College in Alice Springs where she learnt how to do art. When she completed school she started painting for Tim who collects artworks for Mbantua Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs. She does acrylic on canvas, wood carving and native seed jewellery making. Dianne’s themes in her artworks are Bush Medicine. Bush Tucker and Women’s Body Painting.