Visit Cairns Art Galleries: how to embrace Australian art

Photo by berenice melis / Unsplash

Australia is a multicultural nation of immigrants. For those who are interested in the mysterious stories of the ancient tribes in Australia and curious about their beliefs, languages, cultures, laws, and customs, the tour roaming through Cairns art galleries definitely brings you more knowledge about Aboriginal history than what you expect. Coming to these art galleries is one of amazing things to do in Cairns to stay close to nature and fulfill your art aspiration. Australians love arts and are ambitious for it. From history of the Indigenous Australians, the ancestors communicate through art, dance and other oral forms of communication. The Indigenous Australian art is considered among the oldest, and has a big cultural impact on the world. This article provides insight on your visit to the Cairns art galleries, a great choice among Cairns attractions.

Colonial history from an Indigenous perspective by Badtjala artist Fiona Foley Instagram:@cairnsartgallery

Why you should visit Cairns art galleries at least once in your lifetime?

Australian Aboriginal Art plays a very important part in the culture, beliefs, society, and politics of the indigenous Australian people. Across numerous different forms of art, each piece conveys or tells a story of the Aboriginal connections with nature, especially on land and sea.In Cairns, there are groups of highly-respected native artists, like painters and photographers, that work together to create artistic works as a medium to display their spectacular things to the rest of the world. The exhibitions at the art galleries in Cairns gives you the chance to interact directly with the Indigenous artists and unveil the legends behind each of the artworks.You’re also welcome to join in more interactive activities at the gallery, including yoga, art workshops for children, and the Cairns Indigenous art fair, among others. This really helps bring perspective to the art, and allows visitors to appreciate it in more intimate ways, while giving them something of their own to bring home. Wood carvings, weavings, and paintings make an excellent gift for friends and family back home.

Entering these art galleries is one of the best things to do in Cairns

Here is the list of the top 5 art galleries in Cairns you should not miss, as they allow you to witness how the indigenous elders create artworks and immerse yourself in the scared ambience of the Aboriginal rich and long historical land.

Cairns attractions
A Tjunkaya Tapaya woman, a keeper of culture and stories at Ernabella in South Australia is doing her weaving Instagram:@cairnsartgallery

The Cairns Art Gallery was established in July 1995, with the passion of the visionary team of Cairns Mayors, Councilors, State Ministers, artists and other members of the community to bring the Australian heritage and the North Queensland living creature images and concepts to show the world. The gallery currently focuses on exhibitions, art classes, and other special events. If you have kids going with you on the trip, the Cairns Art Gallery is the perfect place for activities appropriate for all ages. There are many group tours from the schools guided by teachers and experienced educators to the gallery regularly and equipped with education kits and the available resources at the gallery. The gallery also works with the local designers and craftspeople for specialty gifts, stationary, books, homewares, jewelry and toys. Most of them are designed with a colorful palette with patterns, lines, shapes… that surly give you fantastic feelings and energy.

Cairns Art Galleries
Colorful ceramics made by local artists instagram: @cairnsartgallery

# The Cairns Centre of Contemporary Art (CoCA)

Managed by Arts Queensland (AQ), the Cairns Centre of Contemporary Art is a complex of different forms of art such as a theatre, gallery, studio, shop, bar, cafeteria, and othercreative spaces. Focusing on the Backing Indigenous Arts project, the Arts Queensland team works to sustain the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage throughout the range of the vividly colorful performances. With the support from government, the Cairns Centre of Contemporary art coaches show the young indigenous generations means of art so that they know how to convey the meanings of their unique stories and blow their spirits of them throughout the performances.

Cairns Art Galleries
The world premiere of 'My Name Is Jimi' to the CoCA stage in 2017 Instagram: @artscairns

At the beginning, the Doongal Gallery was founded by Fred Nooravi and other three local artists with an aim of sustaining the Indigenous historical values throughout the Aboriginal Rainforest and Central Australian artworks. Until now, it has expanded into three galleries and more than twenty artists. In history, the paintings by Indigenous ancestors have been made in the dirt, caves, rock surfaces or the bark of trees. The symbols among them depict animals, sacred sites or the other routes of hunting, camping or rituals. The design has evolved into the canvas or other contemporary artifacts. The galleries currently hold a priceless collection of art pieces like paintings, didgeridoo or boomerang that are extremely intriguing.

Cairns Art Galleries
A colorful painting by Aboriginal Australians Instagram:@pragati_sharma_artist

# The Tanks Art Centre

The Tanks Art Centre is multi-purpose, and is the iconic and innovative centre for the contemporary art events. The Tanks Art Centre plays roles both as a presenter unit for the artistic and cultural events and the community organization to call local communities for the cultural ideas. There are many art forms to entertain you like theatre, music or the visual ones.

Cairns Art Galleries
Kids are watching a film on Aboriginal people at Tanks art Centre Instagram:@kimberley_marston

# The UMI Arts

Established in 2005, The UMI Arts run as an organization supporting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Like the other galleries, the UMI Arts is purposed on preservation, maintenance and protection for the cultural identities. Even professional artists or active participants all have chances to set events at UMI Arts. Tip: You should join the music exhibition in UMI Arts. In collaborating with Tanks Arts Centre, UMI Soundz features on the various genres of music like Hip Hop, Reggae, Blues or Rock.

things to do in Cairns
UMI arts's art crafts instagram: @umiarts

Where should you explore among Cairns attractions after a few days immersing yourself in the Cairns art galleries?

A trip to galleries brings you not only knowledge of history and culture but also stimulates your imagination. For those who love to pursue the creative pathways and get out of the boring things in their daily lives, a trip to the Barrier great reef with Inspitrip is the last matching puzzle piece for your perfectly imaginary trip to Cairns. You can snorkel on the surface of the blue ocean to see the turquoise coral reefs and sunbath under the clear sky.

Cairns attractions
Swimming under water with turtles Instagram:@kotravellers

The Aboriginal people have stayed on this continent for over 40,000 years of abundant culture, art and history. Why do you still hesitate to dance a morning star dance, sing the tribal song with the Indigenous performers in one of the Cairns art galleries? It is one of the best things to do in Cairns to live like a real inhabitant. Now it is the time to search through these above Cairns attractions to absorb its heritage fully.