arts

Indigenous visual arts sector to receive federal funding boost

Phoebe Blogg Published April 21, 2026 at 2.30am (AWST)

Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts. Image: gapuwiyak.com.au.

Eighty-five activities delivered by First Nations art centres, fairs, regional hubs and industry service organisations across Australia will receive funding from federal government, it was announced on Monday.

The Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program supports a professional, viable and ethical First Nations arts industry to enable artists and arts workers to earn income, develop professional skills and connect to the art market.

Grant recipients include Gapuwiyak Bush Gallery 2027, and Armidale & Region Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place.

Funds for Gapuwiyak Bush Gallery 2027 will go towards supporting weaving workshops and an exhibition to further support collaboration and long-term regional development for Arnhem Land. Weavers will be led by fibre artists from Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts, Milingimbi Art and Culture, Bula'bula Arts, Maningrida Arts and Culture and the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre.

Armidale & Region Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place will receive funding to support annual exhibitions showcasing works from local and regional Aboriginal artists, which will be held in Armidale, across regional markets, as well as travelling fairs in New South Wales.

Artists will also receive professional support and training in preparing, marketing, and promoting their artworks.

Additionally, the Protecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Program will fund eight activities that provide professional development and training opportunities for First Nations artists and art-workers to build a stronger, more capable workforce.

Grant recipients include The Indigenous Art Centre Alliance Incorporated, which will host a landmark national First Nations art centre gathering in Brisbane in 2026, preparing First Nations art centres for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, Paralympic Games and Cultural Olympiad.

This will be the first sector-wide forum dedicated to preparing art centres for the cultural and commercial opportunities linked to Brisbane 2032.

Another grant recipient is The Koorie Heritage Trust (KHT), whose Revisiting Blak Design project will bring together four alumni of KHT's ground‑breaking Blak Design initiative to collaborate with the KHT Curatorial Team on the development of a major exhibition of contemporary First Peoples jewellery.

The exhibition will draw on KHT's unique and irreplaceable collection of Victorian First Peoples art and cultural belongings.

Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy, said First Nations art celebrates and builds connections in Australia and internationally with the world's oldest living culture.

"Art has been central to our cultures and connection to Country for over 65,000 years," Senator McCarthy said.

"First Nations art centres are important hubs in our communities, supporting not only cultural connections but economic empowerment for artists, art workers and their families."

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the funding demonstrated the government's commitment to fostering First Nations arts and artists.

"Visual art is a vital form of storytelling and expression of First Nations knowledge, culture and history," he said.

"We are committed to investing in the future of First Nations art so it can continue to be shared and celebrated for generations to come."

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