Oasis Magazine - Cairns & Tropical North Queensland Issue 29 - Apr | May 2019 | Page 29

IT TAKES A FORMIDABLE
TEAM TO RAISE A FAIR
WORDS Pip Miller
IMAGES Cairns Indigenous Art Fair
Australia’s premier art fair is also Queensland’s quintessential celebration of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander arts and culture.
With the milestone celebration little more than two months away, the small but very passionate and
dynamic team are working hard and fast behind the scenes to ensure this year’s event is one to be
remembered. From their open plan office in the city, this predominantly female cohort is a force to be
reckoned with. Each year this talented crew pulls out the stops, attracting up to 50,000 visitors from near
and far to observe the state’s rich diversity of two distinct cultures in one extraordinary location. Now, let’s
meet the team…
JANINA HARDING After hitting the ground running in
February 2015 Janina Harding has been
the artistic director of CIAF – a
responsibility she says doesn’t feel much
like work but describes as “lots of
meetings, writing and research”.
Janina is a Torres Strait Islander woman
whose mother, Eleanor Harding (Adelaide
Hain) was the last of her siblings to leave
Erub Island. “Mum raised me and my six
siblings in Melbourne however we always
knew that Erub was our homeland.”
Asking Janina to choose her favourite
part of CIAF is like asking a parent to
choose her favourite child however is
quick to answer. “It is when I get to have
my own preview of the art fair and come
across artists standing strong and proud
in their space. I can't wait to see and hear
their response to this year's theme My
Yarn Now. ”But what I love the most, is
hanging out with artists, either in their
studio or on their Country. I will always treasure those moments, and remember
those yarns.”
Janina says her advice for first timers to
CIAF is to start squirreling away their
pennies now. “Don’t be caught out
because you are bound to find a ‘must
have’ piece. And to keep up with an
action-packed program, I recommend
drinking plenty of water during the day
and having a good night’s rest.”
For Janina, the theme, My Yarn Now, is
time for the nation “to be quiet and
listen”.
Something that most people don’t know
about you?
“My nickname at High School was Punk. I
used bring my Sex Pistols and Clash
albums to the school gym and thrash
around at lunchtime.”
If you weren’t at CIAF what would you be
doing?
“Wishing I was at CIAF…”
VANESSA GILLEN From interactions with exhibiting artists
to securing sponsorships, marketing,
publicizing and organizing each and every
event on the program, Vanessa Gillen’s
role as General Manager, is as the title
implies, extensive.
Calm under fire, Vanessa approaches
every task with a focus that is
results-driven and importantly, for the
benefit of CIAF and its stakeholders.
With a background in media, marketing,
film production, and of course, the arts,
Vanessa brings a breadth of experience to
the table and like all of her colleagues,
exudes passion as she goes about the day
to day. Before joining CIAF Vanessa
managed Yarrabah Arts Centre for three
years which she says has greatly benefit-
ed her current role and ability to see the
event from an artists perspective.
For Vanessa, CIAF is special because of
Cairns’ beautiful environment and the amazing people involved, along with the
fact it brings two unique Indigenous
cultures to the fore. “Queensland art and
culture is still a new experience for most
Australians, so having the opportunity to
immerse yourself in one event and view
the art, hear music, see traditional and
contemporary dance, experience locally
made food and learn through hands on
workshops with artists is a one-stop shop
of cultural immersion for our visitors.
“The most amazing thing about CIAF is
the atmosphere - I have never been to an
event that has such a happy, inclusive
vibe where everyone comes together as
one.”
Something that most people don’t know
about you?
I worked for England’s former PM
Margaret Thatcher as her personal aide
when I was backpacking around the
world.
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