Art and Culture in Cairns: Galleries, Indigenous Art and Creative Spaces

Cairns has a distinctive cultural scene shaped heavily by its First Nations heritage and its position as the major city of the Wet Tropics. The Cairns Art Gallery on Abbott Street is the city's flagship public gallery, with a collecting focus on North Queensland and Oceanic art. Tanks Arts Centre at the base of the escarpment in Edge Hill is one of Far North Queensland's most important cultural venues, operating in former Second World War oil tanks converted to performance and exhibition spaces. The KickArts Contemporary Arts centre in the CBD is a significant venue for contemporary and First Nations visual art. The Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park at Caravonica provides an immersive First Nations performing arts experience. The Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF), held annually in August during the Dry season, is one of the most significant First Nations art events in Australia. The Night Markets and Esplanade environs frequently feature local artists and craft makers alongside the food culture.