About
Sally Scales is a Pitjantjatjara woman from Pipalyatjara in the far west of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in remote South Australia. Sally is the daughter of Josephine Mick, a cultural leader and senior artist from Ninuku Arts and the late Ushma Scales, one of the founders of Maruku Arts and the APY cultural archive Ara Irititja.
Sally has worked with the APY Art Centre Collective since 2013 in Cultural Liaison, Elder Support and Spokesperson roles. Sally is a member of the Uluru Statement Dialogue Leadership, having been involved in the Referendum Council’s Constitution regional dialogues and national convention in 2017. She was part of the Federal Government’s Referendum Working and Engagement Group. Sally is also a member of the NGA Council and Chair of their First Nations Advisory Group and is an Independent Director at Australian Children’s Television Find. Sally is former Chair of APY Council, the youngest and only woman to hold the position and has previously worked with the Art Gallery of South Australia and South Australian Government. On top of all of these commitments, Sally is foster mum to Walter.
Sally began painting at APY Studio Adelaide in 2020 and was awarded the People’s Choice Award at the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards in 2021, and Roberts Family Prize as part of the Wynne Prize in 2022. She is represented by Station Gallery in Sydney.