Six Years On
The opening night of the 2015 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) saw star-studded performances by Christine Anu and singer songwriter Archie Roach, set against a sky of fireworks. The night was capped off by the announcement by Arts Queensland of a further three years of funding for the Fair, ensuring its longevity to 2018.
CIAF began in 2009 to showcase Indigenous Art Centres and commercial galleries together, in one venue. The initial two fairs were strongly centered on presenting high-end visual arts alongside an academic symposium; they were directed by Michael Snelling and run by Arts Queensland.
Six years on and the three day art fair has developed to encompass not only visual arts, but also fashion, theatre, dance, music and film. The program has grown into the format of a festival in many respects, hosting an artist party, opening night celebrations, satellite exhibitions, collectors and VIP viewings, art markets, music performances, dance, a fashion parade, pop up shops, and children’s workshops.
Satellite exhibitions are held at the Cairns Regional Gallery, KickArts Contemporary Arts and Tanks Arts Centre. The Centre of Contemporary Art hosted a Black Cabaret and an Indigenous Short Film night for the first time in 2015.
The current artistic director Janina Harding says that while CIAF has expanded its scope, it ‘is still very much centered on creating economic opportunities for artists and creating a marketplace in Cairns for the Queensland Indigenous region’.
2015 saw high-end works curated into an art fair exhibition and the Art Centres, galleries and artists hosting a ‘market place’ with more affordable art and merchandise in the adjacent wharf shed. Previously the artworks and merchandise were shown together.
The CIAF exhibition, ‘Wabu