CIAF’s On Country Program underpins major public acquisitions as Children’s Health Queensland unveils new First Nations exhibition

Delivering long-term cultural legacy well beyond the annual art fair, the exhibition set to open at 10 am on Thursday, 12 March, showcases recently acquired works for the Children’s Health Queensland collection. The exhibition will be displayed in the Queensland Children’s Hospital’s Community Gallery on Level 2, Queensland Children’s Hospital, 501 Stanley Street, South Brisbane.

The artworks were acquired over the past three years through Children’s Health Queensland’s Arts in Health program, following staff's participation in CIAF’s On Country VIP Program.

CIAF Artistic Director Teho Ropeyarn said the acquisition demonstrates how CIAF is expanding its impact from a marketplace to a national cultural infrastructure and role as a pipeline between Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander artists, Country and enduring public collections.

“CIAF has always been about more than sales across four days in July. Rather, it is about relationships, education, and pathways that keep growing year after year,” Mr Ropeyarn said.

“The On Country VIP Program was designed precisely for moments like this, where curators and collectors don’t just see art, they experience the cultural context that gives it meaning.

“When that leads to acquisitions in public institutions like Children’s Health Queensland the benefits flow back to artists, communities, and audiences for generations,” he said.

CIAF’s On Country VIP Program, (of which the latest iteration was launched in 2025) offers invited guests including museum professionals, philanthropists, and institutional buyers, curated experiences with artists, Elders, and communities alongside the Art Fair.

The program has rapidly become a key mechanism for deepening cultural understanding, strengthening ethical collecting practices, and building enduring partnerships between Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander artists and public institutions.

Lynne Seear, Strategic Lead, Arts in Health at Children’s Health Queensland, said the program was instrumental in shaping her approach to curating the hospital’s collection.

“Being on Country with CIAF transformed how I encountered these works, not just as objects for a collection, but as living expressions of culture, place and care,” Ms Seear said.

“For Children’s Health Queensland, acquiring First Nations art is about creating healing environments for children and families, while also ensuring that contemporary First Nations artists are meaningfully represented in public collections that will be seen by thousands of people each year,” she said.

The newly acquired works will form part of Children’s Health Queensland’s ongoing commitment to integrating Aboriginal and Zenadth Kes/Torres Strait Islander art into clinical and communal spaces, recognising the role of culture in wellbeing.

Over 40 artworks from more than 30 artists / art centre collaborations will be featured in the exhibition. These include: Bernard Lee Singleton, Teneille Nuggins, Melanie Gibson, Gertie Deeral and Wanda Gibson (Hopevale Arts Centre), Erica Muriata, Nancy Beeron, Ninney Murray, George Beeron Snr, Charlotte Beeron (Girringun Arts Centre), Susan Peters Nampitjin (Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts), Sonya Creek, Cathy Snow, Selma Marrbarmarnya Hoosan, Phillip Denham, Daniel Beeron, Dylan Sarra (Mitchell Fine Art), Sam Harrison, Darren Blackman, Teho Ropeyarn and Brian Robinson (Onespace), Aidan Rowlingson, KS Savage, Netta Loogatha, Ivy Minniecon and Lara Fuji (Northsite Contemporary Arts), Melanie Hava, Libby Harward, Mylene Holroyd, Kim Ah Sam, Lex Namponan (Aurukun Arts Centre), and Paula Savage (Moa Arts).

Exhibition details

‘Celebrating First Nations artworks in the Children’s Health Queensland collection’ will be officially opened at 10am on Thursday, 12 March 2026, at the Community Gallery, Level 2, Queensland Children’s Hospital, 501 Stanley Street, South Brisbane.

VIP On Country Program
Participation in CIAF’s VIP On Country Program is currently by invitation and will have a limited number of public spaces available in the coming months.

Expressions of interest from curators, collectors, institutional leaders and philanthropic partners may be directed to artfair [at] ciaf.com.au.

CIAF 2026: What you need to know
Theme: Reclamation & Regeneration
Dates: 9–12 July 2026
Location: Tanks Arts Centre, Gimuy (Cairns)

Image: 1 & 2. Torres Strait Island artist Toby Cedar’s crafted canoe (exhibited at CIAF 2023) has been suspended from a ceiling in Cairns Airport. Pictured: (standing) Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker, Diane Ambrym, artist Toby Cedar, Kathy Lakatos, Florince Williams, Alfred Gray, architect Angela Spillane; (front) Andre Duffin, Farron Duffin, Georgina Hobbler, Andrew Duffin, Richard Bing. Photo: Bang Media. 3. Lex Namponan, Ku’ Paamp Many (2025), Milkwood with ochre pigment and PVA fixative. Acquired by Children’s Health Queensland. Photograph: Michael Marzick courtesy of Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF).