Conversation
Perspectives on Curating and Collecting Australian Aboriginal Art
In conjunction with the exhibition Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu: Contemporary Aboriginal Painting from the Australian Desert
January 22–April 11, 2026
To celebrate the soft opening of Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu, join us for a moderated conversation on curating and collecting Indigenous art. Discussion will set the current show within a history of New York exhibitions featuring contemporary Aboriginal art, as well as touch upon larger issues such as cultural protocols, permissions, and practices when working with Indigenous collections and communities.
Speakers:
- Nici Cumpston (Barkandji), Director, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia, Charlottesville
- Dr. Maia Nuku (Māori/ Ngāi Tai), Evelyn A. J. Hall and John A. Friede Curator for Oceanic Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
- Shanysa McConville (Eastern Arrernte), Associate Curator, Museums and Collections, the University of Melbourne, Australia
Moderated by Dr. Faye Ginsburg, David B. Kriser Professor of Anthropology, New York University
Visitor Access & Registration
RSVP is required—please register to attend this event. For attendance without an active NYU ID card, RSVP by Wednesday, January 21 to guarantee building access.
Arrive early to view Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu before the conversation—the exhibition will be open from 11am to 6pm on January 22.
Co-sponsored by Center CIRCL at NYU; the Center for Media, Culture, and History, NYU; the Graduate Program in Museum Studies, NYU; and NYU Liberal Studies
NYU’s Grey Art Museum provides reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Requests for accommodations should be submitted at least two weeks in advance. Please email greyartmuseum@nyu.edu or call (212) 998-6780 for assistance.
Irriṯitja Kuwarri Tjungu is organized by the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia in partnership with Papunya Tula Artists.
