Cairns Indigenous Art Fair
Encyclopedia
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair is 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 http://www.arts.qld.gov.au/funding/backing-indig-arts.html. Cairns Indigenous Art Fair adheres to the "Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct"
. The most well known of the exhibiting Contemporary Indigenous Australian artists were Judy Watson, Vernon Ah Kee, Richard Bell
, Tony Albert, Joanne Currie Nalingu, Arone Meeks, Gordon Hookey
, Ricardo Idagi, George Nona and Sally Gabori. A full listing of artists and exhibitors is available in the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair catalogue for 2009.
Musicians and dancers who took part in Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2009 were Christine Anu
, King Kadu, Seaman Dan
, Will Kepa, the Aurukun Dancers and Songmen, Ariw Poenipan, Kulkal Baba (Blooded Feather) and the Baiwa Dance Company.
and a Board Member of the Bundanon Trust.
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 http://www.arts.qld.gov.au/funding/backing-indig-arts.html. Cairns Indigenous Art Fair adheres to the "Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code of Conduct"
The artists
In 2009, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair featured the work of more than 150 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists born or based in the Australian state of QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The most well known of the exhibiting Contemporary Indigenous Australian artists were Judy Watson, Vernon Ah Kee, Richard Bell
Richard Bell (artist)
Richard Bell is an Australian artist and political activist.Bell came to the attention of the wider community after his painting Scientia E Metaphysica won the 2003 Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award...
, Tony Albert, Joanne Currie Nalingu, Arone Meeks, Gordon Hookey
Gordon Hookey
Gordon Hookey is an Australian aboriginal artist from the Waanyi people. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and lives in Home Hill, Australia.Hookey has been exhibited in the Sydney Biennale with Paranoia Annoy Ya...
, Ricardo Idagi, George Nona and Sally Gabori. A full listing of artists and exhibitors is available in the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair catalogue for 2009.
Musicians and dancers who took part in Cairns Indigenous Art Fair in 2009 were Christine Anu
Christine Anu
-Early life:Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai and Mabuiag Islands.-Career:Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993...
, King Kadu, Seaman Dan
Seaman Dan
Henry Gibson "Seaman" Dan , known universally as Seaman Dan, is a Torres Strait Islander singer-songwriter with a national and international reputation whose first recording was released in 2000...
, Will Kepa, the Aurukun Dancers and Songmen, Ariw Poenipan, Kulkal Baba (Blooded Feather) and the Baiwa Dance Company.
The director
Michael Snelling is the 2009 and 2010 Artistic Director of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair. Mr Snelling is a former Chief Executive Officer of Major Brisbane Festivals, responsible for the presentation of the Riverfestival and the Brisbane Festival; CEO and Artistic Director of the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane and the Experimental Art Foundation in Adelaide; and Director of the Australian Centre for Photography Workshop in Sydney. For five years he managed the visual arts and crafts National Infrastructure and Projects Portfolios in the Australia Council. Prior to this he was a professional photographer and teacher for over a decade. He is currently Chairman of ArtbankArtbank
Artbank is an art rental program established in 1980 by the Australian Government. It supports contemporary Australian artists and encourages a wider appreciation of their work by buying artworks which it then rents to public and private sector clients. It was modeled on the Canadian Art Bank,...
and a Board Member of the Bundanon Trust.