The National Indigenous Art Fair will welcome Indigenous artists from some of Australia's most remote regions to Sydney this July.
Typically attracting more than 10,000 visitors, the National Indigenous Art Fair (NIAF) will celebrate its sixth year operatiing on Gadigal land at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks.
The two-day ethical art market and festival will showcase the latest award-winning ideas and innovations from Indigenous artists, designers and makers from remote art centres around the country.
Each attending community will being their particular range of unique handcrafted and limited-edition items produced using locally sourced materials, natural fibres, dyes and the distinctive style of their region.
From stunning original artworks to design objects, fashion, jewellery, homewares, and native dyed and hand-printed textiles, attending artisans often work closely with resources found in their own environment.
First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation chief executive officer, Peter Cooley, said the fair's return is an exciting opportunity for Sydneysiders to interact directly with the makers.
"The NIAF also represents an incredible gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives from across Australia and all the different styles of art of those regions, with many artists travelling from the far corners of Australia — from the Bathurst Island to Yuendumu in the Northern Territory to the Tanami Desert of WA," Mr Cooley said.
"It presents a rare and exciting opportunity for Sydneysiders to interact directly with the makers."
In the spirit of 2025's NAIDOC Week theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, NIAF will feature a vibrant program of live music and dance performances including an interactive weaving circle.
There will also be Indigenous bush food plants and food offerings, with dishes featuring native Australian plants and edibles freshly prepared by a guest chef (or two) on the BBQ.
An exciting new addition to the program is an Indigenous fashion runway show as part of the Art Fair, which will highlight new collection pieces that can be purchased on the day.
Officially welcoming remote practitioners to Sydney, local artists, designers, and makers from Australia's premier authentic First Nations marketplace — the Blak Markets — will join them at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, alongside art collectives from remote and regional New South Wales.
Remote artists travelling to Sydney will also be able to participate in First Hand Solutions' Heart in Art program, which provides economic and professional development opportunities to First Nations artists working in remote communities.
This includes a three-day professional development program for artists to connect them with urban-based arts and cultural institutions and creative arts workshops prior to the event.
With a full schedule of live experiences including talks, demonstrations, tastings, children's workshops and performances daily from 10am, the event presents as a great day out for the entire family.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for Sydneysiders to visit a gathering of Indigenous creatives all in one place," Mr Cooley said.
"We also ensure the art fair is an ethical marketplace where you can buy artworks directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from remote community-owned art centres in the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia."
The National Indigenous Art Fair will be held on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July at the overseas Passenger Terminal, 130 Argyle St, The Rocks, Sydney.
The sixth annual art fair is proudly presented by Sydney-based First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, in partnership with the Port Authority of NSW, Destination NSW, University of Technology Sydney, Place Management NSW, the City of Sydney, Nelson Meers Foundation, Macquarie Foundation, Gilbert+Tobin, The Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program and Mercure Sydney.
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