From tree off-cuts to work of art - the cultural nous of Indigenous art student Laura Salt has led to amazing success at her very first exhibition. Her series of bird sculptures has been bought by the Sydney Museum and will now be displayed there. That's just one of the many success stories coming out of a Dubbo TAFE exhibition taking place at Boomalli Gallery in Sydney's Leichardt. Organised as part of the Michael Riley foundation the exhibition features 120 works of art from 10 TAFE artists working with wood and with ochre. The exhibition also features jewellery made with feathers, wood and echidna quills. It doesn't finish until Friday but the sales so far have been exceptional. On opening night 19 pieces sold within the first hour and all of the jewellery has been sold. Ms Salt, who with five other students travelled to Sydney for the opening, said she was still in "shock" that her works had sold. Teacher Theresa Yasserie said the ochre was "hard work" and they had spent two days just grinding it down "with the dust flying everywhere" but it was well worth it. "They say in NSW our culture is lost but we're getting it back in a contemporary way," Ms Yasserie said. Student Coral Yates agreed. "It comes from the earth and using it is bringing our culture back, keeping it alive," Ms Yates said. After their success in Sydney the students plan to keep working and their next goal is to conquer an overseas market. The ten students are: Christine Fernando, Laura Salt, Delilah Campbell, Coral Yates, Brenn Doherty, Elizabeth Hunter, Dennis Hall, Rose Shillingsworth, Nancy Stewart and Keith Vincent.