Double the celebrations for the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) – with its bumper 10 year anniversary program commemorating the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019).

3 July 2019

CIAF has a strong track record in showcasing the vitality and diversity of arts and culture from Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait Islands. This year’s theme of ‘My Yarn Now’ acknowledges that 2019 is also a year to celebrate and promote Indigenous languages. 

This popular event supports cultural exchange and economic opportunity for Queensland’s Indigenous artists and offers pathways for emerging talent. It also provides an ethical arts environment where artists can engage directly with visitors from across the country and overseas, including enthusiastic collectors and curators. 

The Australian Government, through its Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program, has supported CIAF since its inception. In addition, works made by artists from 14 of the 16 IVAIS-funded art centres in Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait Islands will again be at the heart of CIAF’s dynamic program.

Over the past decade, CIAF has generated an impressive $7 million in sales, much of which has been returned directly to artists and their art centres.

The IVAIS program supports over 80 Indigenous-owned art centres across Australia that together enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to generate income, create new art, develop professional skills and connect to national and international art markets. 

CIAF is expected to attract in excess of 46,000 people from 10 to 14 July. 

Image: Craig Koometta, Untitled, 2015. Mixed media. Photo by Michael Marzik. © Wik and Kugu Arts Centre, Aurukun

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