TAKE QUEENSLAND FIRST NATIONS ART TO THE WORLD
Help open the The Blue Highway
The Blue Highway: From Gimuy to Hong Kong
First Nations art carries generations of knowledge, stories and cultural identity. This is art the world needs to experience.
Long before shipping lanes and flight paths, Sea Country connected First Peoples through trade, cultures and knowledge.
Today, CIAF wants to open new pathways across oceans, connecting Queensland First Nations artists with people around the world. We’re calling this The Blue Highway.
But sharing art with audiences, curators and collectors at international art fairs takes significant investment. Travel, freight and exhibition costs can put these opportunities out of reach for many First Nations artists.
Help CIAF artists cross The Blue Highway to Hong Kong — carrying Queensland First Nations art to new shores.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 to help take Queensland First Nations artists to Art Central Hong Kong in March 2027.
You can help make it happen.
Make a secure donation via our online portal below.
HELP OPEN THE BLUE HIGHWAY. TAKE QUEENSLAND FIRST NATIONS ART TO THE WORLD.
Earlier this year, with support from the CAGES Foundation, CIAF travelled to Hong Kong to build relationships with galleries, collectors and curators. Those connections are now creating opportunities at Art Central Hong Kong, a cornerstone event of Hong Kong Art Week.
The next step is getting artists and their work there.
On Thursday 22 October, CIAF is joining AusArt Day 2026, a national day of giving to the arts.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 to help take Queensland First Nations artists to Art Central Hong Kong in March 2027.
Your donation could help transport an artwork overseas, support an artist to exhibit internationally and open the door to career-changing opportunities.
For Queensland First Nations artists, showing their work internationally can attract new audiences, unlock new markets, and strengthen long-term career opportunities. The impact of these opportunities can ripple far beyond the artists themselves, reaching families, communities and the wider Australian arts ecology.
Inspired by the CIAF 2027 theme, Superhighway: Country
Sings to Stars Dancing, The Blue Highway is CIAF's way of talking about international market development in the First Nations arts sector.
For generations, First Peoples have read the tides, currents and stars to understand when the conditions are right to cross. Art Central Hong Kong is one of those moments: the pathway is open, the relationships are forming and Queensland First Nations artists are ready. Your donation can help make this journey possible.
Watch CIAF Programs Manager Catherine Curnow reflect on the Hong Kong delegation, what it means for her Mob to carry culture across international waters, and how these connections can create new pathways for Queensland First Nations artists.
ABOUT CIAF
For almost two decades, the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair has grown into a world-class platform for First Nations art and culture — grounded in Country and shaped by artists across Queensland.
More than an annual event, CIAF works year-round, connecting artists, art centres, collectors and audiences through a program spanning visual art, fashion, performance and storytelling.
Since 2014, CIAF has delivered:
- $6.5M+ in direct art sales
- $41M+ in regional economic impact
- 420K+ in audience attendance
Government funding and corporate partnerships provide vital support, but they are only part of what sustains CIAF. A diverse income base—including individual giving—is critical to our independence, resilience and future growth. Every donation strengthens the platform behind our artists, carrying their work to new audiences, new markets and new generations.
Your Support Empowers
- Major commissions and new work — giving artists the resources to create ambitious, career-defining pieces
- Artist travel from remote and regional communities — including Cape York and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait, so distance is never the barrier to opportunity
- Event delivery, ethical market access and collector engagement — building fair, respectful pathways between artists, national and international audiences
- Year-round professional development and culturally safe programs — supporting artists long before and after the fair itself
Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Limited is a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR). Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible in Australia.
