Michael O'Ferral at WAP

Michael and Carl rolling the China selection in the Tjulyurru Exhibition space for transit to the WAP collection rooms.

Michael O'Ferral stayed with us for two weeks during the data base re-construction project, doing the valuations and helping compile the first draft of the de-accession list. Michael was the Curator of Indigenous art at the Art Gallery of Western Australia for many years and he has a wealth of experience in the field as a writer and consultant - besides this he is always fun to work with. We now have every painting in the Warburton Collection at Warburton valued, and the only works still to be done are those currently in the possession of Stephen Mori or his associates (much more on this issue soon!). The valuation will allow us to indemnify the collection or selections of it that go for exhibition. Michael's clearly put arguments during the compilation of the de-accession list have created a solid foundation for the discussion that must now take place with WAP committee members and the Warburton Community administration.

The data base project is complex and very large - currently I am unsure if we will finish all of the foundational material for each entry in the women's collection because there is just so much of it. But half way through it key milestones have been reached. They are: the valuation of all works as noted above, the creation of the draft list for de-accession, the selection and documentation of the shortlisted paintings for the China touring exhibition, the forward planning for the refurbishment of the hanging system in the collection rooms and the construction of new fasteners for the paintings, the successful development of the File Maker based software especially created with our data consultants Carbon Data Solutions (MR. Wolf, you are so cool!), the completion of the Men's painting collection (just today) and the preparation of the collection storage rooms for Maria Kubik's arrival on the 5th August to work on China Show condition reports. There's more (the visit by the Governor, the meeting with the Goldfields Esperance Development Commission strategic planning group and so on..) but the main things above are covered. Having said this there are about 450 paintings from the women's collection still to be entered.

Michael saw a lot of this come together over the two weeks he stayed with us; he never lost his sense of humour and was an engaging part of every conversation going.

You were such a great member of our little team up here, Michael - many thanks from us at WAP and we hope to work with you again soon on the China Shows.