And a design by the Aboriginal Arts student at TAFE NSW’s Wauchope Campus, has been chosen to help promote the organisation’s Aboriginal Pathways initiative.

Angela is currently studying Certificate III in Art and Design and has had her art displayed in a range of public exhibitions.

Creative Industries teacher at Wauchope Campus, Jacky Beckhurst, says that four student designs were submitted but Angela’s design, entitled ‘Circle of life, hands of time’, fitted the brief best.

“Angela’s design was broad and inclusive and anyone could relate to it, with its themes of generations and inclusivity,” said Jacky.

Angela says the black hands represent Aboriginal people and their stories, and the white hands are the people of other cultures, coming together.

“The symbols in the circles represent the generations and the centre circle is the meeting place,” she said.

Angela, who plays an important role on campus as a community Elder, finds her educational experience enriching.

“My favourite things about studying at TAFE, apart from the learning, is the classroom atmosphere, and the way that we all encourage each other. It is a real mix of people – everyone is so different,” she said.

Angela is in a group of Aboriginal artists exhibiting at the ‘Our Culture, Our Connections, Our Stories’ June exhibition at the Glasshouse Port Macquarie Regional Gallery as part of an ongoing partnership between TAFE NSW and the Glasshouse.

Her work has been displayed at Wauchope’s Cowarra Dam sculptural installation, Port Macquarie’s Sea Acres Rainforest Centre and Kempsey’s Dunghutti/Ngaku Gallery.

For more information about courses on Aboriginal Art and Culture or Design at TAFE NSW, visit the TAFE NSW website at www.tafecoursensw.com.au   or call 1300 628 233.