Aboriginal Art Centre Hub WA

What Aboriginal Art Centre Hub WA does

Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia (AACHWA) is a not-for-profit Aboriginal corporation registered under the CATSI Act 2006 and the peak body for Aboriginal art centres across Western Australia. Founded in 2015 after operating as a project within Country Arts WA since 2009, AACHWA serves 24+ member art centres representing more than 5,000 Aboriginal artists from 90 language groups across 40 communities spanning over two million square kilometres. Headquartered at Unit 16, Level 2, 139 Newcastle Street, Perth, the organization delivers a portfolio of programs including Revealed (WA's largest annual Aboriginal art market and exhibition), Our Future (accredited arts worker training via North Metropolitan TAFE and North Regional TAFE), Our Country Moves (state-wide capacity building), Our Mob Online (digital capacity building launched 2025), Make it Real (Indigenous tourism products with Tourism WA), the Our Business Forum, and a $1.6M Digital Art Project with WA Museum Boola Bardip.

AACHWA generates no commercial product revenue; it operates as a peak body funded through tax-deductible donations and grants from government (Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Lotterywest, Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support) and corporate/philanthropic partners (BHP, Paul Ramsay Foundation, Tourism WA). The organization provides its services to member art centres at no cost and facilitates — rather than captures — direct sales between artists and collectors at events like Revealed. In 2023, AACHWA assumed Aboriginal-led governance of Revealed, transitioning the event from Fremantle Arts Centre to the Perth Cultural Centre (PICA and WA Museum) from 2025.

AACHWA employs between 11 and 50 staff (approximately 28 named personnel across project management, curatorial, design/marketing, finance, and executive roles) and is governed by an Aboriginal board chaired by Lynette Yu-Mackay (Nagula Jarndu Designs) with CEO Chad Creighton. The organization holds no patents, has no proprietary technology products, and operates exclusively within Western Australia. Its value proposition centers on advocacy, professional development, business support, market access, and network building for Aboriginal-owned and controlled art centres operating as cultural and economic hubs in remote and regional communities.

Name

Aboriginal Art Centre Hub WA

Legal name

Aboriginal Art Centre Hub Western Australia

Website

https://aachwa.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AACHWA is the Aboriginal-led peak body for Western Australia's 24+ Aboriginal art centres, providing advocacy, training, exhibition, and capacity-building programs to 5,000+ artists across 90 language groups, funded by government grants, donations, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aboriginal Arts Sector Support Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural, Arts & Humanities Community Education (Museums/Arts Councils) (EDAAAFAD)

Keywords

• Aboriginal art support
• Arts sector advocacy
• Cultural capacity building
• Indigenous arts training
• Peak body services

Headquarters

HQ city

East Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: AACHWA operates as a not-for-profit Aboriginal corporation funded primarily through donations and government grants. Donations are tax-deductible for contributions over $2. The organization receives funding from Lotterywest, BHP, Department of Local Government Sport and Cultural Industries, and other government programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Aboriginal Art Centre Hub WA (AACHWA) is the peak body for Aboriginal art centres in Western Australia, providing advocacy, professional development, training, capacity building, exhibition opportunities, and sector representation. It delivers programs including the annual Revealed art market and exhibition, Our Future accredited arts worker training, Our Country Moves capacity building, Our Mob Online digital capacity building, Make it Real Indigenous tourism products, and the Our Business forum.

Product overview

AACHWA is a peak body organization (not a technology company) that provides a portfolio of programs and services supporting Western Australian Aboriginal art centres. The core programs include: Revealed (annual Aboriginal art market and exhibition), Our Future (accredited arts worker training), Our Country Moves (state-wide capacity building), Our Mob Online (digital capacity building), Make it Real (Indigenous tourism products), and Our Business (annual forum). Supporting resources include marketing and photography guides, publications on pricing and management, and the Digital Art Project with WA Museum Boola Bardip. These offerings work together to promote, empower and connect WA Aboriginal art centres through advocacy, professional development, exhibition opportunities, and resource sharing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Revealed: Western Australia's biggest celebration of Aboriginal art - an annual Aboriginal Art Market and major exhibition showcasing new and emerging WA Aboriginal artists
• Our Future
• Our Country Moves
• Make it Real
• Our Mob Online
• Our Business

Products and services

• Revealed Western Australia's biggest annual Aboriginal art market and major exhibition showcasing new and emerging WA Aboriginal artists, delivered Aboriginal-led and governed under AACHWA's custodianship. The program includes the Revealed Art Market at WA Museum Boola Bardip with direct artist-to-buyer sales, and the Revealed Exhibition at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.
• Our Future: Aboriginal Arts Worker Training Program Accredited practical training program delivered in partnership with North Metropolitan TAFE and North Regional TAFE, providing real-world experience to Aboriginal arts workers in regional and remote Western Australia, working towards Certificate II in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts. Has trained over 25 Aboriginal arts workers from 15+ WA Aboriginal art centres since 2019.
• Our Country Moves
• Our Mob Online Digital Capacity Building Project launched in 2025 to help WA Aboriginal art centres improve their digital and marketing presence. Provides hands-on support, practical workshops and tailored training across branding, eCommerce, storytelling and marketing over a minimum of two years.
• Make it Real Aboriginal-led business model for certified, culturally authentic tourism products. Supports 6 WA Aboriginal art centres to develop authentic souvenirs that return value directly to artists and communities, with 100% of profits distributed back to artists and art centres.
• Our Business Annual Aboriginal Art Centre Forum supporting professional development, leadership training and knowledge sharing. Designed for Aboriginal art centre board members and staff, local government cultural workers, and arts sector professionals. Next iteration scheduled for 22-25 September 2026 in Kununurra.
• Digital Art Project $1.6 million public artwork commission for WA Museum Boola Bardip showcasing work of over 150 Aboriginal artists over four years. AACHWA manages the project providing curatorial recommendations, ongoing support to artists, and an internship program for emerging Aboriginal artists.
• AACHWA x Lawson Flats Exhibition Program Collaboration with Lawson Gallery presenting exhibitions showcasing unique artistic expressions from different Western Australian Aboriginal art centres. First series in 2024 featured four exhibitions with sales opportunity for art centres and no commission on sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revealed 2024 art market sold over $420,000 of art in seven hours, a 25% increase year-over-year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, historical and secondary.

• Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025PICA is the exhibition partner for Revealed, hosting the annual Revealed Exhibition at its central gallery in the Perth Cultural Centre. This partnership marks a significant transition for Revealed under AACHWA's leadership, with PICA providing world-class exhibition space and curatorial support. The partnership began in 2025 and continues through at least 2026.
• WA Museum Boola BardipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025WA Museum hosts the Revealed Art Market, WA's largest opportunity for Aboriginal artists to sell their work directly. The museum also partners on the Digital Art Project, displaying digital artworks by Aboriginal artists on its public screens over four years (2020-2023). The museum is a key venue in the Perth Cultural Centre.
• Fremantle Arts CentrehistoricalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Fremantle Arts Centre was home to the Revealed exhibition for over a decade (2013-2023) before AACHWA took leadership. FAC continues as a partner for Revealed Art Market delivery. The partnership represents eight years of successful exhibition curation.
• Lawson FlatssecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Lawson Flats collaborated with AACHWA in 2024 to deliver the Lawson Gallery exhibition series, showcasing four different WA Aboriginal art centres. The partnership provided risk-free exhibition space with sales opportunity for art centres and no commission on sales.
• Sohan Ariel Hayes StudiosecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sohan Ariel Hayes and their studio produced Stage 2 of the Digital Art Project, creating films featuring Aboriginal artists for display at WA Museum Boola Bardip screens.
• North Metropolitan TAFEcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019North Metropolitan TAFE delivers accredited training for the Our Future Aboriginal Arts Worker Training Program, providing TAFE units towards Certificate II in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Arts. The partnership provides classroom learning and practical training for arts workers.
• North Regional TAFEcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019North Regional TAFE delivers accredited training for the Our Future program at the regional component, providing practical coursework and skills development for Aboriginal arts workers from remote WA.
• Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019AGWA is a key partner for Our Future training program, providing behind-the-scenes tours, curatorial experience, and exhibition installation opportunities for Aboriginal arts workers. The gallery has supported the program since its inception in 2019.
• Martumili ArtistscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Martumili Artists serves as the primary regional host for Our Future training program, welcoming arts workers to Nyiyaparli Country (Newman) for hands-on learning experiences. The partnership has been continuous since 2019.
• Waringarri Aboriginal ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Waringarri Arts hosts the Our Business Forum on Miriwoong Country in Kununurra and has been a long-time partner for Our Future regional training components.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yothu Yindi Foundation: The Yothu Yindi Foundation is a Yolngu-led organisation in Northern Territory promoting Yolngu culture, education, and arts. Comparable to AACHWA as an Indigenous-led body advancing Aboriginal cultural practice through community-led programs and partnerships.
• Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute: Tandanya is an Aboriginal-owned and managed cultural institution in Adelaide presenting Aboriginal art, culture, and performance, with similar arts advocacy and exhibition mandates. Comparable to AACHWA as an Indigenous-led cultural organisation promoting Aboriginal artistic practice.
• Desart: Desart is the peak body for Aboriginal art centres in Central Australia (Northern Territory and parts of SA/WA), providing comparable advocacy, training, and sector development services to AACHWA. It is the most direct peer, mirroring AACHWA's model of representing multiple Aboriginal-owned art centres in remote regions.
• Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative: Boomalli is a Sydney-based Aboriginal artists cooperative founded in 1987 to promote and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporary art. Like AACHWA, it operates with Indigenous governance and provides exhibition, marketing, and sector support for Aboriginal artists.
• Koorie Heritage Trust: The Koorie Heritage Trust is a Melbourne-based Aboriginal community organisation promoting Koorie arts, culture, and heritage through exhibitions, cultural programs, and collections. Comparable to AACHWA as an Indigenous-led cultural institution supporting artists and cultural preservation.

Others

• Regional Arts WA: Regional Arts WA (formerly Country Arts WA) is the peak body for regional arts in Western Australia and was AACHWA's parent organisation prior to AACHWA's 2015 stand-alone incorporation. Closely related through shared regional arts mandate and historical governance.

Broad incumbents

• Australia Council for the Arts: The Australia Council is the Australian Government's principal arts funding and advisory body, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board which directly funds Indigenous arts organisations. Comparable to AACHWA as a major funder and policy actor in the Aboriginal arts sector.

Emerging players

• Cairns Indigenous Art Fair: CIAF is an annual Indigenous art market and cultural event in Far North Queensland showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and fashion. Comparable to AACHWA's Revealed in its event-driven market and exhibition model for Indigenous artists.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aachwa.com.au
• Instagraminstagram.com/aboriginalartcentrehubwa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aboriginal-art-centre-hub-wa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aboriginal Art Centre Hub WA