YAGU Artists Group

Yagu is a Wajarri word meaning mothers. The group consists of Wirnda Barna’s Yalgoo based artists, Phyllis Simpson, Margaret Simpson, Charmaine Simpson, Karen Gilbert and Claudine Simpson.

They started the group back in 2005 out of the Town Hall and moved to MEEDAC in later years. The Yagu group were also inaugural members of Wirnda Barna Artists, which they helped to set up in 2009 to support, develop and protect Aboriginal artists in the Upper Murchison.

Wirnda Barna has a studio complex in Mount Magnet & supports its artist members across Yalgoo, Sandstone, Mount Magnet, Cue, Meekatharra and Yulga Jinna. The Shire of Yalgoo support YAGU through the display & sale of Artwork at the Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre.

YALGOO ARTS & CULTURAL CENTRE ARTISTS

Phyllis Simpson

Phyllis Simpson was born on Meeberrie Station in the 1940's. She is an Aboriginal woman of the Wajarri people of the Mid-west region of Western Australia. She went to Tardun Mission School which is now Wandalgu.

She has lived in lots of places but now lives in Yalgoo where she has lots of family. She has been painting since 2008. Phyllis enjoys making artwork with the local women's art group, Yagu.

Phyllis’s artworks can be purchased through the Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre

Margaret Simpson (AIR)

Margaret Simpson was born in Mullewa WA in the 1950s. She is an Aboriginal woman of the Wajarri people of the Mid-west region and moved to Yalgoo, where most of her family live in 2002. Margaret has lived in the Mid-west / Murchison region all her life. She has four sisters, four brothers, six daughters, nineteen grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.  Margaret completed a Certificate III in Art and enjoys making artwork with the local women's art group, Yagu.

Margaret's artworks can be purchased through the Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre

Charmaine Simpson (AIR)

Charmaine Simpson was born in Mullewa in the 1960s. She is an Aboriginal woman of Wajarri people of the Mid-West region and lives in Yalgoo with most of her family. She went to Morawa District High School and has a passion for painting, completing a Certificate III in Art. Charmaine has been painting most of her adult life and enjoys making artwork with the local women's art group, Yagu.

Charmaine's artworks can be purchased through the Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre

Helen Pratt

Helen Pratt was born in South Australia and moved to Western Australia in 1966 where she settled in the South West of the State. Although Helen started working as a nurse, after raising three children she started driving trucks around the state with her husband and they both now live and work in Yalgoo.

Helen caught the paper cutting bug from her daughter who lives abroad. Helen and her daughter share designs and ideas across the hemispheres and make cards together when her daughter returns for a month each winter.

Helen's artworks can be purchased through the Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre

Elisha Hodder

Elisha Hodder is an indigenous woman from Yalgoo, Western Australia. She is a member of three tribes; the Yamatji, Nhanda & Yawuru people. As an artist Elisha works hard to develop paintings that depict her land, culture and history. In retelling her experience she aims to express the beauty of the places she has spent time with family and the stories she has been told by her elders. 

Elisha serves as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer and is also developing a meaningful community engagement arts project which examines the lived experience of people who have lived, past and present, in Yalgoo. 

Elisha's artworks can be purchased through the Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre. 

The indigenous paintings on the website are by the talented local ladies known as the YAGU group. If you wish to view these paintings in Yalgoo or would like further information please contact:

Yalgoo Arts & Cultural Centre 

Description:	Yalgoo Arts Centre - Gallery, Studio & Shop Commissions & Workshops can be arranged
Location:	Cnr Gibbons & Milligan Street, Yalgoo
Opening Hrs:	8:00am - 3:00pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Contact:	Rhiannon Hodder, Arts Centre Coordinator Trainee
Contact Ph:	0419 325 964
Contact Fax:	(08) 9962 8020
Email:	artscentre@yalgoo.wa.gov.au