This July, The National Indigenous Art Fair is coming back to Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal in The Rocks
Coming to us on July 3 - 4, this marks the third National Indigenous Art Fair, a two-day celebration of art, events and more to herald in NAIDOC Week.
The Fair itself is an ethical marketplace, one which offers patrons and art lovers the opportunity to buy artworks directly from the artists themselves. It's a unique opportunity that invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from remote community-owned art centres from the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia to share their wares.
The current list of art centres on show for 2021 includes:
- APY Art Centre Collective (Amata, APY Lands SA)
- Arlpwe Artists Aboriginal Corporation (Ali Curung NT)
- Artists of Ampilatwatja (Ampilatwatja NT)
- Arts Ceduna (Ceduna SA)
- Ikuntji Artists (Haasts Bluff NT)
- Munupi Arts And Craft Association (Melville Island NT)
- Nayri Niara (TAS)
- Numbulwar Numburindi Arts + Durrmu Arts (Numbulwar Community NT)
- Spinifex Hill Studio (South Hedland WA)
- Tjanpi Desert Weavers (Alice Springs NT)
- Tjarlirli & Kaltukatjarra Art (Tjukurla Community WA)
- Wangaba Roebourne Art Group (Roebourne WA)
- Warlukurlangu Artists (Yuendumu NT)
- Warnayaka Art & Cultural Aboriginal Corporation (Lajamanu NT)
- Wei'Num Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts and Crafts Corporation (QLD)
The Fair will also include a vibrant calendar of live music and dance events; plus a sculpture walk and more than 25 Blak Markets stallholders from New South Wales selling art, jewellery, gifts, homewares, and Indigenous bush food and plants.
2021's event follows on from the 2019 event, since the 2020 event was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID-19. 2019 hosted 30 remote art centres and attracted over 10,000 visitors. This year is expected to be even bigger.
This event is presented by National Indigenous Art Fair founders, Sydney based First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, in proud partnership with: the Port Authority of NSW, the Australia Council, University of Technology, Sydney, the City of Sydney, and support from the federal government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program.
First Hand Solutions CEO Peter Cooley said: “The National Indigenous Art Fair is a unique opportunity to meet artists from some of Australia’s most isolated communities and browse a huge variety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and hear the stories of this art directly from the markets.
“We feel privileged to host these incredible artists in Sydney; and to provide a platform for them to promote and sell their artworks, and host workshops demonstrating their unique arts and cultural practices.”
The National Indigenous Art Fair hours are 10am to 5pm Saturday July 3, and 10am to 4pm Sunday July 4, 2021. Entry is by gold coin donation.
Image: National Indigenous Art Fair
