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Susan Betts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Susan 'Susie' Betts is a First Nations artist, illustrator and cultural advisor. She has ancestral connections to Wirangu, Kokata and Mirning country, community and language groups on the far West coast of South Australia.

Career

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Qantas jet covered in Nalanji Dreaming artwork by Susan Betts and Balarinji Design Studio.

Betts' artworks created whilst employed at Balarinji Design Studio include the Nalanji Dreaming design[1] covering a Qantas jet in 1995.[2][3] She developed the Sweet Water design for an oversized Coca-Cola bottle displayed at the 1996 Olympics and now in Atlanta Museum.[4]

She designed a cultural football guernsey for the Adelaide Crows worn during 2016 for the Australian Rules Football Indigenous round at the request of her nephew Eddie Betts.[5][6][7]

Betts has undertaken international research through a Churchill Fellowship in 2018 exploring the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) constellation and creation stories (Tjukurpa) across Indigenous cultures in Australia and overseas. As a part of this fellowship she was able to visit the Elliston and Streaky Bay areas which had been taboo to her people for many years; this was possible after a ceremony acknowledging the Waterloo Bay massacre and what had been lost.[8]

Betts said of this:[8]

We want to make this connection back on country because for thousands of years our people have been coming here, our ancestors and doing ceremony.

— Susan Betts, 8 October 2020, ABC Eyre Peninsula

As of 2024, Betts is a Board member of Country Arts SA and part of their First Nations Advisory Committee.[9]

Selected works

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Children's books

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Regional Development Australia collaborations (2016-10-25). "Wiyana Spirit". Regional Development Australia Eyre Peninsula. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  2. ^ National Museum of Australia, Acton Peninsula. "National Museum of Australia - Balarinji art and design collection". www.nma.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  3. ^ Qantas (3 July 2024). "Flying Art Series".
  4. ^ Lange, Jacques (1997). "Coke art, folk art: The Coca-cola salute to folk art". Sabinet African Journals: 15–16.
  5. ^ "Adelaide Crows unveil new Indigenous jumper". NITV. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  6. ^ "Crows to don Indigenous jumper". afc.com.au. 2016-05-22. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  7. ^ Homfray, Reece (25 May 2016). "Eddie's Pride". Advertiser, the (Adelaide): 66 – via Ebsco.
  8. ^ a b "Seven Sisters stars creation story reconnecting people to their country after clifftop massacre taboo lifted". ABC Eyre Peninsula. 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  9. ^ "Our People". Country Arts. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  10. ^ Austlit. "Warna-Manda Baby Earth Walk | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  11. ^ Austlit. "Lullabies for Bed Time | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  12. ^ "It's bed time / illustrations by Katharine Lahn ; music by Mike Steer ; words by Phil Cummings,... - Catalogue | National Library of Australia". catalogue.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
  13. ^ "Award Categories". Gladys Elphick Awards. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  14. ^ "Susan Betts - Churchill Trust". www.churchilltrust.com.au. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  15. ^ Austlit. "Susan Betts | AustLit: Discover Australian Stories". www.austlit.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  16. ^ Mem: 7752768. "Wilderness Society announces Environment Award shortlists, new Karajia Award | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 2024-06-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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