CIAF Presents wrap up
10/09/2013CAIF Presents was a more understated Cairns Indigenous Art Fair for 2013, but the program included high quality exhibitions, informative forums, dance, music and theatre performances. In August I travelled to Cairns to spend three days working with Gail Mabo at the opening of Umbrella’s exhibition featuring Murris in Ink printmakers and sculpture from Girringun Art Centre artists. Sea and Sky was held at the wonderful Canopy Artspace on Grafton Street. Umbrella hired the front gallery space for three weeks because there was no exhibition organised for the Cruise Ship Passage Terminal during CAIF 2013. Hopefully that important art event will return as part of CAIF next year.
Canopy Artspace is the home of well-known print studio Editions Tremblay as well as an important exhibition space for regional artists. Canopy is nothing flash, it is a refurbished old shed with plenty of FNQ personality and equipped with everything required to install a professional exhibition including; movable walls, track lighting, hanging rails, and spaces for several exhibitions in large and smaller spaces to accommodate multiple exhibitions simultaneously. The exhibition was a success with several works sold, a packed out opening night event and several VIP visitors including the Governor Of Queensland Penelope Wensley AC, who made a special trip to meet with Gail Mabo and the exhibiting artists (pictured below).
Vicki Salisbury, Director of Umbrella Studio
