Boost to prizes for CIAF

l CAIRNS CBD

A BOOSTED prize cache of $60,000 puts Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s (CIAF) Art Awards among Australia’s richest art prizes while acknowledging and supporting the practice of Queensland’s brightest and best First Nations artists.

CIAF general manager Darrell Harris said the art awards –now in their seventh year – had sustained careers and changed the lives of past winners.

“We are always working towards developing initiatives that increase the profile, social and wealth incomes of Queensland’s Indigenous communities,” he said. “Our art awards tick all these boxes, however our efforts are only made possible through the generosity of our category partners whose purpose and values align perfectly with CIAF.

“While the relationships we have with award partners are mutually beneficial they are held in the highest regard, in particular the Queensland

Government, whose Premier’s Award for Excellence has been the pinnacle prize from the inaugural competition in 2017,” Mr Harris said.

“To secure an elevated commitment from the Queensland Government in 2023 from $15,000 to $25,000 for the Premier’s Award for Excellence is a significant show of support for CIAF and growth of the state’s Indigenous art movement,” he said.

Mr Harris said the organisa- tion was extremely grateful to all award sponsors especially the founding major partners, the Queensland Government and Cairns Regional Council.

CIAF’s Art Awards are open to all exhibiting artists whose work has been selected to feature in the prestigious art fair exhibition at Cairns Convention Centre which will draw a collective response to the 2023 theme, Weaving our Future: Claiming our Sovereignty.

The award categories include:

• Premier’s Award for Excellence by Queensland Government - $25,000

• Art Centre Award sponsored by Cairns Regional Council$10,000

• Innovation Award sponsored by Holding Redlich$10,000

• 3-D Design, Sculpture and Installation sponsored by Ports North - $5000

• Emerging Art Award sponsored by Apunipima - $5000

• People’s Choice sponsored by Torres Strait Regional Authority - $5000.