Last month, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its newly reimagined Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, which includes the extensive and grand Oceania galleries, presenting a new exhibition dedicated to the peoples of the Pacific. ‘Galleries of the Arts of Oceania’The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as The Met, is the third largest museum in the world, presents over 5,000 years of art from around the globe and welcomes more than 5 million visitors a year.
One of the contemporary exhibitors chosen to join the world-renowned collection was Papua New Guinea’s Ömie Artists, an arts cooperative based in the inland mountainous region of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea. Founded in 2004 by Andrew Naumo and David Baker, the cooperative works with ten remote all seven Ömie villages to preserve their unique ancestral artform of fine bark cloth artartisanry. The social enterprise has been managed by Brennan King since 2009 and seeks to support local artists, preserve traditional arts and culture, as well as develop a community arts centre structure to provide broader benefits to the wider Ömie community, such as access to medical services, education, water tanks and solar lights.
Supported by Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia’s Impact Support Program, Ömie’s purchased tapa, including works by Fate Savari and Ilma Ugiobari, was delivered to New York via secure transportation, with Brennan facilitating the commissioned project installation and attending the gallery opening events.
Reflecting on the experience, Brennan said it was a historic moment for Ömie Artists and a greatn honour to join the Pacific delegation with representatives gathered from across Oceania.
“Most of my career has been committed to sharing the Ömie’s barkcloth art with the world through exhibitions, so I was elated to join the celebrations as part of the Pacific delegation as the representative of the Ömie Artists, which marks the enduring presence of the Ömie women’s spectacular artform on the world art stage. It is a monumental milestone for the artists driving this living and thriving artform of Papua New Guinea, whose culture, art and communities have become empowered through the cooperative and international exhibitions.”
“The Met museum’s inclusion of Ömie barkcloth art in the wider context of their Pacific and international art collection is a watershed moment as it is the highest form of recognition within the art industry, affirming the importance of the Ömie’s cultural barkcloth artform and the artistic talents and achievements of the Ömie artists. There is not a day that passes I am not in complete and total awe of the beautiful barkcloth the artists create and it is one of the most exciting art movements I have ever witnessed. It is the greatest honour to work alongside the Ömie women artists and bring their art to the world.”
PTI Australia’s Investment Manager, Michaela Long, said facilitating support that helped pave the way for Tthe Met’s successful purchase and deliveryacquisition, logistics and delivery of Ömie’s artwork, speaks directly to her passion for PTI Australia’s scope of work.
“We are thrilled to take part, even in a small way, in the process of spotlighting exquisite Pacific art on one of the world’s most influential cultural stages. Facilitating opportunities like this speaks directly to our broader mission – to support the Pacific’s creative industries not just as cultural expressions, but as powerful economic pathways. Whether it’s on tapa, farms or laptops, championing world-class Pacific talent is at the heart of what we do.”
Reflecting on the form of support needed for Pacific artists to be export-ready and connect with global audiences, Brennan said that commitment to excellence is key.
“I would recommend artists and arts organisations ensure they have the highest possible quality product before planning commercial projects or export, along with accurate cultural information relevant to their unique artform or product. Excellent governance, communication as well as consistent, dedicated teamwork among artist cooperatives is also essential for long term sustainability. Commercial partnerships with businesses that can elevate and promote your product in a respectable way that truly understand and do justice to your artform or cultural product and that can genuinely reach the right markets and audiences internationally is also a wise strategy for Pacific arts businesses. Researching and familiarising yourself with the existing industry suited for your product is going to give you the best chance of building key relationships for successful partnerships.”
Founded in 1979, PTI Australia is an agency of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Funded by the Australian Government, it facilitates trade and investment in the Pacific Islands.
