Cairns Indigenous Art Fair has kicked off in in style, in a cultural and sensorial feast showcasing across the city’s arts hubs.
Enjoy a visual snapshot of the key events held over the last two days below – the opening of the CIAF Fashion Story at Court House Gallery, cultural dance performances and more.
Photos are by Veronica Sagredo Blueclick Photograph and Paul Furse by Frontrow Foto. Inc.
Today’s highlights include the opening of Dabiyil Bajara (Water Footprints) exhibition, We are Masters of Country fashion performance and CIAF Presents the Aboriginal Comedy All Stars all at TANKS ARTS CENTRE.
SATURDAY 9 JULY 2022
Art Fair & Art Market
9.00am-5.00pm
Cairns Convention Centre
FREE EVENT
Art Workshops & Demonstrations
Cairns Convention Centre, enter via Hartley Street, Cairns City
10.00am -4.00pm
FREE EVENT
Cultural Dance
Cairns Convention Centre, enter via Hartley Street, Cairns City
11.00am & 1.00pm
FREE EVENT
CIAF Conversations-The Last Hurrah
Cairns Convention Centre, enter via Hartley Street, Cairns City
12.00pm – 1.00pm
FREE EVENT
Join Lydia Miller in conversation with CIAF Artistic Director Janina Harding for an insight into programming that celebrates the incredible talent of Queensland First Nations Peoples.
Cure by Zane Saunders
Cairns Performing Arts Centre, 9 – 11 Florence Street, Cairns City
2.30pm -3.30pm
Experience a captivating, ritualised solo performance by artist and performer, Zane Saunders that challenge the ideals of corporative industrial agriculture and organised religion versus First Nations culture and spiritual practices.
Music in the Tank & Embrace Projection Art
Tanks Arts Centre, 48 Collins Street, Edge Hill
6.00pm – 10.00pm
TICKETED EVENT $40 (inc. booking fee). Bookings: ticketlink.com.au or 13OO 855 835
Join CIAF Ambassadors Naomi Wenitong and Aaron Fa’Aoso, the hosts of this year’s CIAF Music, featuring an eclectic line-up of Queensland First Peoples’ talent, including Miiesha (Acoustic) from Woorabinda Djun Djun Jarra (Yarrabah) AJ (Cairns) and Joey Tapau (Mer Island) with special guest performance by Pitjantjatjara man Frank Yamma.
Campfire to Stage Light- Life of David Hudson (Opening Night)
Bulmba-ja Theatre, 96 Abbott St, Cairns City
7.30 pm -10.00pm
TICKETED EVENT – Bookings: http://www.eventbrite.com.au
SUNDAY 10 JULY 2022
Art Fair & Art Market
9.00am-5.00pm
Cairns Convention Centre
FREE EVENT
Art Workshops & Demonstrations
Cairns Convention Centre, enter via Hartley Street, Cairns City
11.00am- 1.00pm
FREE EVENT
NorthSite Contemporary Arts – Artist Talks
Bulmba-ja Arts Centre, 96 Abbott Street
FREE EVENT
Dr Ken Thaiday SNR and Grace Lillian Lee discuss their collaborative installation, Suggoo Pennise created in late 2021 for QAGOMA’s 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art. Artists from Wujul Wujul and Heather Koowootha and Keith Wikmunea discuss their practice and their works on show.
CIAF Closing Ceremony & People’s Choice Award Presentation
Cairns Convention Centre, enter via Hartley Street, Cairns City
From 1.00pm –3.00pm
FREE EVENT
Thrilling and reminiscent, this finale will steal your heart away in a collaborative goodbye performed by CIAF 2O22 cultural dance groups. CIAF Art Awards Peoples Choice winner announced.
For more, visit: http://www.ciaf.com.au
About CIAF
CIAF was established by the Queensland Government in 2009 as a strategic initiative of Backing Indigenous Arts which aims to build stronger, more sustainable, and ethical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts industry in the State. CIAF Ltd, formed in 2014 is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and governed by a Board of Directors.
The Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and Tourism and Events Queensland is proud to support CIAF.
From the outset CIAF has attracted significant attention from both international and national institutional and private collectors, curators, media, and the public. In just 11 years, over 320,000 people have visited the event and approximately $8 million has been generated in art sales which has been returned to the artistic community and is being used to further develop their art practice.


















































About CIAF
CIAF was established by the Queensland Government in 2009 as a strategic initiative of Backing Indigenous Arts which aims to build stronger, more sustainable, and ethical Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts industry in the State. CIAF Ltd, formed in 2014 is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee and governed by a Board of Directors.
The Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and Tourism and Events Queensland is proud to support CIAF.
From the outset CIAF has attracted significant attention from both international and national institutional and private collectors, curators, media, and the public. In just 11 years, over 320,000 people have visited the event and approximately $8 million has been generated in art sales which has been returned to the artistic community and is being used to further develop their art practice.