Indigenous Impact Weekly
Celebrating Leaders and Changemakers
Our first edition of the series features prominent art expert and industry leading business coach, Jaime P. Silva.
This weeks interview and article is by Georgia King, Digital Content Coordinator at Garlett Group.
He is a proud Mapuche Latino man originally from South America but grew up in Western Australia. He has worked for non-profits within the Indigenous community and holds a very high position within the Art space.
Jaime co-owns ART+ in Potts Point, Sydney. ART+ is a gallery and studio which connects both local and global top tier artists with established brands, commercial enterprises and private collectors in the procurement and curation of investment art portfolios.
In addition to his work in the creative sector, Jaime is a Business Coach at Waalitj Hub. He started in this role two years ago coaching First Nations clients in the arts and culture sector.
The Waalitj Business Hub provides support, advice and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples wanting to start, grow or sustain their businesses.
What’s your role in the community, why is this work important to you?
“My role with Waalitj is to make art more accessible in community and other demographics, this is to foster creativity, encourage artists, manage them, giving them the ins and outs of the commercial business of the art world. I collaborate with different artists from communities around Australia to showcase their work and market it, to see if it is commercially viable. I want to create and expand their hobbies by helping mob showcase their culture to create sustainable outcomes in hopes to make them money and give back to their family and community.”
What are some of the challenges you have endured? How did you overcome them?
“The challenge I face is with non indigenous folk regarding indigenous arts, they struggle to understand how sacred and special this form of art is. These artworks from community are important in bridging the gap, education and I really try to encourage people to appreciate it more. The issues that have risen are people questioning indigenous art, they sometimes compare it to modern art, pop art, landscapes. I’ve chosen indigenous art, me being an indigenous man from South America but also Australia has given me so much more understanding and knowledge. I grew up with a lot of mob, I know how sacred these artworks are and how healing they are. How much they impact the community. I want to put them on a big world wide stage one day.”
Have you always been into art?
“Yes, my first piece when I collected was when I was 15 years of age and haven’t stopped collecting since. I have one of the biggest pop art collections here in Perth, anything from emerging artists to investment pieces. I’ve always had a passion for art, a love for art, its healing, its medicine.”
Do you have a quote that you live by, that you would like to share?
“Indigenous art is more than just creativity – it’s a connection to culture, community and country. When we invest in indigenous art; we’re supporting stories, traditions and sustainable futures for entire communities.”
You can contact Jaime online via Waaltij Hub or if you’re an artist, through Art+