Katanning artist Wendy Hayward opens Jeert Mia Art Gallery

The ribbon was cut for Katanning artist Wendy Hayward’s new art gallery located in the heart of town on Wednesday. Mrs Hayward and her daughter Tianne Hayden opened the doors of Jeert Mia Art Gallery to the public to commemorate this year’s NAIDOC week. More than 50 pieces that tell fabled stories are on display with key features from Albany artist Coungie. Ms Hayward has been painting for nearly 15 years and after having success selling her work at Kodja Place in Kojonup, she opened a gallery. “I’ve been selling art periodically for years and people have taken a liking to my work, so I thought I’d give it a go,” she said. Ms Hayward is CEO and chair of Jeert Mia Aboriginal Corporation which specialises in catering and selling bush tucker, art and floral arrangements at local markets. Jeert Mia catered for the book launch of No Longer a Wandering Spirit, held at the Katanning Library on the same day. “We have been doing events around Katanning since 2019 and are looking to build on our service through customer feedback.” The art gallery is located 100m from the city centre on Richardson Street and is open Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm. Pieces are also available for purchase online on the Jeert Mia Arts Facebook page.