The Alcheringa Gallery is a Gallery of Tribal Art on Fort Street in Victoria, British Columbia. For people new to the area or visiting British Columbia, the Alcheringa Gallery is well worth any time spent there. The word Alcheringa means dreamtime and is Aborigine in origin. For the Aborigines dreamtime was the time when all of creation and its inhabitants were sung into existence. They believe that singing and dancing maintain the landscape and that these inaudible songs are the things that hold creation together.
The Alcheringa Gallery has been in existence and exhibiting tribal art for the last twenty five years. The idea behind the Gallery is to create a following for aboriginal artists from the North West Coast of Canada, from Papua New Guinea and from Australia. The aim is to create a following both in the Canadian and the International Art world. The Gallery reimburses the artists so that they are able to remain in their villages, continue their art, and have their medical and school fees covered.
A central part of the Gallery's collections has been that of contemporary Australian Aboriginal Art for the last eighteen years. Successful networking has meant that the Gallery has been able to curate these collections in other establishments. The Gallery also helps to support tribal projects for the people such as a medical centre in Papua New Guinea and a Guest House in the Korogo Village to help villagers attract visitors who might want to stay in the area and learn something about the culture
