With this art, we all get a fair share
WITH the ninth annual Cairns indigenous Art Fair under way this week, it’s timely to highlight the significant impact the event has, not just on the economy, but the artists and performers it showcases.
While events are about activating a destination, highlighting a person, place or thing, they are also about celebration and instilling goodwill in a community.
CIAF is about heightening profiles, nurturing talent and keeping local businesses in business. And while it takes a good deal of money — all praise to our wonderful funding organisations, corporate partners and donors — to present an annual event — it is what we give back, not what we “make” that is a measure of our success.
And when it comes to money and CIAF there seems to be a misconception in the community that I wish to address before we head off to Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal tomorrow and add the finishing touches for the fair.
The misconception relates to the amount of money CIAF has to work with.
I was chatting to someone the other day who commented that CIAF was lucky to be both well funded by government and to enjoy lucrative sales from art generated each year.
While this is true, in terms of art sales — it is wrong to believe this is CIAF’s money to keep and use.
All the money generated by art sales is returned to the art centres and artists, not CIAF.
Key to our strategic plan is how CIAF supports and develops the artistic movement of Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples using a focused and long-term, global perspective.
Our strategic plan states: “CIAF is a public interface for indigenous artists from around the state, providing an opportunity to extend their skills, promote their culture, and sell art work in an ethical environment.”
Since inception nine years ago, CIAF has generated strong outcomes locally and nationally.
In the past five years, more than 185,000 people have participated and/or attended CIAF, more than 1000 Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists have been represented, more than $2.9 million in Queensland indigenous art has been sold and about $7.29 million has been injected into the Queensland economy.
In 2015 CIAF attracted 50,000 visitors/participants and generated more than $350,000 in artist revenue and in 2016 had 51,207 visitors and generated $630,000 in sales.
Last year, 47,700 people were recorded attending CIAF events while art sales increased by 20 per cent from 2016 sales to tally $760,000.
Notably, major acquisitions were made by the National Gallery of Victoria, Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, Logan City Council and the Premier of Queensland.
These sales, with the exception of opening night and fashion performance revenue, is wholly returned to the artists and art centres.
CIAF is funded to present these events and our earned revenue is not nearly enough to create the extraordinary event that provides a platform for Queensland artists and performers to shine.
Yes, money talks, but we all know outcomes should not always be valued in this way.
For instance, CIAF has provided a platform of opportunity to many artists and art centres. In 2015 Pormpuraaw Art Centre received an invitation and achieved funding to take their incredible ghost net artists to Monaco and around the world.
It is hard to ignore the facts and statistics — CIAF is a worthwhile event whose success has not happened by chance, but through the dedication of its committed and passionate board and team.
When it was launched in 2009 by Arts Queensland it was fully funded by the state, but paused in 2013 to become a non-profit organisation with a board of directors.
Fundraising, corporate partnerships and resourceful management of limited funds are all priorities for CIAF.
We have drawn from the state’s plethora of talent, both emerging and established, traditional and contemporary, to create an all-inclusive event that shines the spotlight on Queensland’s cultural riches while plugging into its drive for cultural tourism.
CIAF is at a stage where its reputation precedes it.
All of a sudden, we have people and organisations coming to us, asking to share our limelight. This year we have welcomed several new corporate partners while providing a vibrant platform for peak indigenous arts organisations like Screen Australia and APRA to meet and discuss issues affecting their industry’s future.
The beauty of CIAF is in its broad appeal and single ability to embrace people from many cultures.
ALL THE MONEY GENERATED BY ART SALES IS RETURNED TO THE ART CENTRES AND ARTISTS, NOT CIAF
Vanessa Gillen is the general manager of Cairns indigenous Art Fair