Cairns Indigenous Art Fair's curatorial associate Teho Ropeyarn has assumed the organisation's acting artistic director's role, effective immediately.
Ropeyarn is a long-serving member of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair's (CIAF) leadership team, a celebrated artist and a respected arts worker who has dedicated his career to advancing First Nations artists and communities throughout North Queensland.
CIAF chief executive officer, Dennis Stokes welcomed Ropeyarn's appointment following Francoise Lane's resignation after two years at the artistic helm and overseeing the delivery of this year's 15th-anniversary milestone program.
"Teho is a well-respected member of Australia's creative arts industry, and being a Cairns, Far North Queensland local, his interim appointment to Artistic Director is a good news story for the community," he said.
In addition to Stokes' commencement as the organisation's inaugural CEO in June, Ropeyarn's appointment points to an exciting new chapter for CIAF.
"Teho is a valued member of our team who brings his deep passion for First Nations art and culture to the forefront of this celebrated platform," Stokes said.
"Under his artistic leadership in this interim period, CIAF will continue to build on its reputation for promoting the diverse voices and stories of Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities."
Born in Mount Isa in 1988 and hailing from Injinoo in the Cape York Peninsula, Ropeyarn commences the role with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Sydney.
His extensive experience includes roles as Gallery Curator at UMI Arts, Curator of Indigenous Australian Art at the Cairns Art Gallery and most recently, CIAF's Curatorial Associate.
Throughout his career the talented creative has collaborated with more than 100 artists and produced over 30 exhibitions.
They include the co-curated Goobalathaldin Dick Roughsey: Stories of this Land exhibition, which was presented at both the Cairns Art Gallery and Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art. He also managed the Big Sculpture exhibition, CIAF's first major touring project.
Ropeyarn's curatorial expertise has been internationally recognised through numerous prestigious developmental opportunities, including participation in the Getty Paper Project at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection and the National Gallery of Australia's Wesfarmers Indigenous Leadership Program.
As an artist, Ropeyarn's career has flourished alongside his curatorial work, having showcased in several solo and group exhibitions in national and international settings.
Ropeyarn's artworks have featured in the 23rd Biennale of Sydney (2022), Nuit Blanche in Canada (2022), and the Queen Sonja Print Award in Norway (2022).
They also feature in significant collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, and South Australia.
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