Art centres are vital to community as they are a rare source of non-government income. Art centres create employment opportunities for people of all ages and are also places where culture is celebrated and instructed on a daily basis through art and cultural practice.

The vision of the APYACC is to increase the capacity of art centres and support their important work in community by:

1) Creating and exploring new markets, including through APYACC owned galleries in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide

2) Supporting business development and building capacity by increasing and diversifying art centre income

3) Driving innovative artistic projects, including the acclaimed Kulata Tjuta project, regional collaborative painting camps and celebrated Anangu curated exhibitions.

The APY Galleries in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide are Indigenous, artist-owned galleries that exhibit and celebrate the work of early-career Indigenous artists working at art centres across the APY Lands, regional South Australia and Adelaide. Through a dynamic, monthly exhibition program, the APY Galleries showcase a range of artistic mediums, including paintings, ceramics, traditional punu (wood) carvings, weaving (tjanpi), textiles, new media, and photography.

In addition to marketing and sales, APY Galleries allow artists the opportunity to engage with a wide audience outside their remote and regional communities. In doing so, artists can make important early career connections and build a network within their industry. The galleries also provide a culturally appropriate space for artists and artworkers to engage in city-based training and professional development opportunities not possible in their home communities.

Under the direction of Anangu Elders, APY Gallery Sydney opened in March 2018.
Following its success, APY Gallery Adelaide opened in May 2019. Most recently, APY Gallery Melbourne opened its doors in the Docklands in June 2022, establishing a triumphant tri-state footprint as the first and only Anangu-owned galleries in the country.

APY Galleries work exclusively with Indigenous owned art centres in the APYACC membership; supporting and promoting ethical production and sales. All APY Galleries work with a commission structure that sees 80% of the artwork’s retail price returned to art centres. This challenges existing commission structures within the industry and supports the most favourable artist commission that buyers can find.