Last month, the Aboriginal Regional Arts Alliance (ARAA) celebrated a big win by taking a group of First Nations artists from regional and remote NSW to the 2025 Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF).
This is the first time a NSW delegation has been invited to showcase their work with a dedicated booth at DAAF, proving ARAA’s value as a statewide peak body representing First Nations artists and their communities. The ARAA led delegation was a huge success, providing invaluable learning, connection and exposure to the regional NSW artists and arts workers involved.
DAAF is national, annual event that showcases the contemporary fine art and design of more than 75 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Centres from across Australia on Larrakia Country (Darwin, NT). This year it was held on the 7-10 August.
The NSW delegation led by ARAA was represented by:
- Kylie Caldwell: Bundjalung Artist & Cultural Storyteller
- Jamie-Lea Trindall: Wiradjuri Artist & Designer & Cultural Educator
- Tess Reading: Gomeroi Artist and Graphic Designer
- Kerri-Ann Taggart: Wonnarua Artist & Graphic Designer
- Tania Hartigan: Gomeroi Artist, Multidisciplinary Maker & Storyholder of Place
- Amber Seccombe: Saltwater Freshwater Gumbaynggirr curator and cultural advocate
ARAA CEO, Lorrayne Fishenden said, “DAAF was a huge success not only for the sales achieved, but for the professional development, connections, and experiences that will have a lasting impact. We’re proud to say we really put NSW on the map this year.”
After such a successful event, it is important to consider how essential organisations like ARAA are in the regions, particularly for First Nations artists and arts-workers.
ARAA provides crucial services in advocacy, partnerships and professional development that has tangible impacts on the careers of artists and communities. It was ARAA’s commitment to having regional NSW represented at this event that led to this opportunity and their partnerships that helped artists get funding to attend. Recently this was recognised by the NSW state government, who allocated them funding in CreateNSW’s Arts and Cultural Funding Program.
Regional Arts NSW (RANSW) is the state administrator of the Federal Government’s Regional Arts Fund, which provides funding to regional artists and arts organisations. Quick Response Grants were awarded to some of the artists who attended DAAF, providing financial support for an event that they were invited to participate in at short notice.
RANSW would like to congratulate our partner ARAA and the artists involved for this wonderful success.
To find out more about DAAF and keep up to date with ARAA, follow them here.
