Indigenous arts

Places to see Indigenous art

The Queensland Art Gallery

The Queensland Art Gallery is home to a collection of early and contemporary Indigenous Australian art.

The National Gallery of Australia

The National Gallery of Australia is home to more than 7500 works of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island art. Located in Canberra, the collection includes paintings, textiles, prints, drawings, objects, photos, bark paintings and sculpture.

Gab Titui Cultural Centre, Thursday Island

Located on Thursday Island, the Gab Titui Cultural Centre has a gallery with contemporary Indigenous art from local artists. It was also the first place to preserve historical artefacts from the Torres Strait.

Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Madh, Badu Island

The Badhulgaw Kuthinaw Mudh (Badu Art Centre) on Badu Island is one of the newest art centres in Australia. It houses the work of local artists with a strong focus on preserving and promoting traditional art and culture.

Erub Erwer Meta, Darnley Island

Erub Erwer Meta (Our Learning House at Erub) is located in one of the most remote communities of Australia. Traditional Meriam Mer culture is preserved and shared through a range of media, including art, broadcasting, music, performance and technology.

Ngalmun Minaral, Moa Island

Located on Moa Island in the Torres Strait, the Ngalmun Lagau Minaral (Our Island Designs) preserves and promotes Torres Strait Island art and culture.

Kick Arts Contemporary Arts

Located in Cairns, Kick Arts houses contemporary art from North Queensland artists, as well as promoting the region’s art.

The Black Book

The Black Book is your guide to Indigenous art and media in Australia. Search through their directory to find Indigenous people and organisations working in the arts sector or search their Indigenous arts library for images of Indigenous art.

State Library of Queensland

The State Library of Queensland has a number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island collections—housing photographs, artwork and dreamtime stories.

Your Stories - Arts (ABC)

Your Stories - Arts shares the latest information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts, exhibitions and events.

Financial help and grants for artists

Australian Council for the Arts

The Australian Council for the Arts offers grants to Australian artists. There are also grants specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts.

Australian Government grants

The Australian Government offer a number of grants to support Australian art, heritage and culture.

Queensland Government grant finder

Use the Queensland Government Grant Wizard to help find a grant to suit you.

Tax and Indigenous art

Learn how to apply tax to your Indigenous art with the Australian Tax Office guide.

Local council grants

Your local council may offer arts grants to local artists. Contact your local council to find out more.

Indigenous art production and distribution

Desert Pea Media

Desert Pea Media run art and media mentoring programs in remote communities around Australia and the world.

Djumbunji Press

Djumbunji Press printmaking facilities offer North Queensland artists the opportunity to develop their printmaking skills, including beginner workshops, master classes and an open access studio for artists wanting to print their own work. They can custom print for you if you don’t want to print your own work and also run Artist in Residence programs.

KickArts, Cairns

KickArts Contemporary Arts is a registered member of the Indigenous Art Code and can help you with commissions, publishing fine art prints, distribution and organise your exhibition. 

Aboriginal Art Directory

The Aboriginal Art Directory can help you find Indigenous artists, art sellers, wholesalers, art centres and galleries in Australia and across the world.

Indigenous publishing

IAD Press is an Indigenous publishing house specialising in the production of books about Indigenous art, culture, biography and language.