CAIRNS INDIGENOUS ART FAIR

An arts and cultural event in the northern Australian city of Cairns that brings together Indigenous art centres, commercial and public galleries, artist collectives, studios and arts organisations to sell and exhibit the art work of Queensland’s recognised and leading emerging Indigenous Australian visual artists.

The Art Fair is presented by the Queensland Government and is the opening event of Cairns Festival. The three-day event also features an academic symposium, traditional and contemporary dance and music program, artist talks and demonstrations, a children’s art station and family art activities. It is the only dedicated Indigenous art market in Australia that exclusively profiles the art work of Queensland born or based Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and includes both art centres and commercial galleries in a single location.

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF - pronounced KI-AF) was first held from 21–23 August 2009 and attracted more than 10,000 people over the three days of the fair. Visitors came from throughout Australia, the United States, Europe, Korea and Japan. Almost one third of visitors to Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2009 identified as Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders. Nicolas Rothwell of The Australian newspaper wrote “Tradition, innovation; grand ambitions, good intentions, anguished cultural debate: the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair was careful to offer its crowds of visitors an intriguing, multiplicit diet of image and sensation”.

While most of the visitors (an estimated 70 per cent) attended to take advantage of the free cultural programming and to view the art work, the 36 exhibiting organizations sold more than $500,000 of art work during the event.

The art market is an initiative of the Queensland Government’s $11.93 million Backing Indigenous Art program which is committed to strengthening the Indigenous arts sector of Far North Queensland from production to market. Cairns Indigenous Art Fair adheres to the "Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct"

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns_Indigenous_Art_Fair  Downloaded 12 May 2012

(c) Marjorie Earl photograph.