Marilyn Armstrong
Skin name: Mbitjana
Language: Western Arunda
Date of birth: cc 1955
From: Western Arunda
Current home: Alice Springs
Marilyn was born in the Jay Creek community, but grew up in Hermannsburg where her father worked for the Finke River Mission as an engineer. It was here that Marilyn remembers watching Albert Namatjira and Clifford Possum painting and being inspired by them and being given permission to paint the dream time stories.
As a teenager she was a vocalists with the Aranda band in Hermannsburg. She started to paint back in 1988 as a stress reliever (for the women’s centre). Clifford encouraged Marilyn to develop her skills with her dot painting, helping her to understand and paint the Dream time stories of the area they are from. Marilyn has many skills and worked as a counselor at the women’s and children’s centre also with Aboriginal congress as a health worker.
Marilyn moved back to Jay Creek in 1974. Although she spends a lot of time with her young family, she still likes to do beadwork, paint and do leather work which she learnt from her father.
Marilyn has been on the board of Ngurratjuta Aboriginal Corporation for many years and it was at her suggestion that the Art centre was formed to create a place for artists to come and paint when they are in town and pass on their knowledge to the younger generations.
EXHIBITIONS:
- 2003 Desert Mob Exhibition, Alice Springs, NT
- 2004 Advocate Central Australian Art Award, Alice Springs, NT
- 2004 Desert Mob Exhibition, Alice Springs, NT
- 2005 Desert Mob Exhibition, Alice Springs, NT
- 2007 Desert Mob Exhibition, Alice Springs, NT
- 2008 Desert Mob Exhibition, Araluen Galleries, Alice Springs, NT