Meet the Marking the Infinite Artists: Nonggirrnga Marawili

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In this series, we introduce the nine artists behind Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia, on view at The Phillips Collection June 2 – September 9, 2018.

Installation view of work by Nonggirrnga Marawili in Marking the Infinite. Photo: Lee Stalsworth

NONGGIRRNGA MARAWILI
Born c. 1939, Darrpirra, Northern Territory
Lives and works at Yirrkala, Northern Territory
(Madarrpa/Australian)

Nonggirrnga Marawili was born into the Madarrpa, one of the approximately 20 clans composing the Yolngu people in Arnhem Land, the sparsely populated northeastern tip of the Northern Territory, which consists almost entirely of Aboriginal lands. Marawili learned to paint while assisting her husband Djutadjuta Mununggurr, an artist and leader of another Yolngu clan, the Djapu. During the 1990s, she contributed many important commissions and exhibitions of Yolngu art, but it was only after 2011 that she emerged as one of the preeminent figures in contemporary bark painting. In 2015, she was awarded the prestigious bark painting prize at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Recently, she was selected for inclusion in the 2017 National Indigenous Art Triennial at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.

Volunteer Spotlight: Natalie Hall

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In this series, Manager of Visitor and Family Engagement Emily Bray profiles volunteers within the museum. Phillips volunteers are an integral part of the museum and help in many ways: greeting and guiding guests through the museum, helping with Sunday Concerts, assisting patrons in the library, helping out with Phillips after 5 and special events, and so much more. Our volunteers offer a wealth of expertise and experience to the museum, and we are delighted to highlight several them.

Natalie Hall, Art Information Volunteer

Natalie Hall (left)

What year did you start volunteering at The Phillips Collection?
I began volunteering in 2008 after I retired from my position as an administrator at an independent school in Alexandria. We were members of the Phillips so volunteering was an easy extension of that interest.

What do you see as the most valuable aspect of your volunteering?
I love to interact with guests who have a range of questions from the mundane but important “Where’s the restroom?” to discussion of Duncan Phillips’s life and ideas as a collector.  The exhibit Moving Forward, Looking Back in the first gallery has really sparked curiosity about the Phillips family and the collection.

What do you do when you are not volunteering at The Phillips Collection?
We travel a lot to visit family in the US and Jordan and visit colleagues in Indonesia and Thailand.  I am also very involved with Arlington politics and lobby for the National Peace Corps Association.

What is your favorite room or painting here?
Like Duncan Phillips, I love the color of the Pierre Bonnard paintings and Vincent van Gogh’s “The Garden at Arles.” Georgia O’Keeffe is another favorite.

If you had to choose one word to describe the Phillips, what would it be?
Stimulating.

Share a fun fact about you!
I study Indonesian at the Embassy close to the Phillips. We taught in Java and Bali.  The wealth of art in all forms was fascinating, especially in Bali.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
Emily Bray has been so supportive of volunteers.  The flexibility of self-scheduling is most welcome. People should consider volunteering.

 

Volunteer Spotlight: Tiffany Lin

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In this series, Manager of Visitor and Family Engagement Emily Bray profiles volunteers within the museum. Phillips volunteers are an integral part of the museum and help in many ways: greeting and guiding guests through the museum, helping with Sunday Concerts, assisting patrons in the library, helping out with Phillips after 5 and special events, and so much more. Our volunteers offer a wealth of expertise and experience to the museum, and we are delighted to highlight several them.

Tiffany Lin, Phillips Music Volunteer

Tiffany Lin

What year did you start volunteering at The Phillips Collection?
2016

What do you see as the most valuable aspect of your volunteering?
I enjoy seeing patrons who attend music concerts week after week, season after season. The Sunday Concerts have cultivated a community for music enthusiasts in DC to gather and share an afternoon together. I often witness audience members leaving concerts more invigorated than they were coming into the concert.

What do you do when you are not volunteering at The Phillips Collection?
I’m a business analyst at the Carlyle Group where I’ve worked for five years. In the fall, I will be joining the MBA program at the Wharton School in Philadelphia.

What is your favorite room or painting here?
The Music Room holds a special place in my heart. I’ve spent many moments unintentionally holding my breath in the Music Room, captive to the music vibrating off the dark wood paneling.

If you had to choose one word to describe Phillips, what would it be?
Sanctuary

Share a fun fact about you!
I play a bell tower instrument called the carillon and have performed concerts in 10 states since 2013 as a member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America. Come hear me play this summer at the Netherlands Carillon in Arlington on June 30 and the McDonogh School on July 6.

Is there anything else you would like to share?
While I’ve enjoyed exploring other nearby venues for Sunday Concerts, I am excited to be back in the Music Room after the renovation is completed this year!