Cairns Art Gallery

Cairns Art Gallery Located in the heart of the city and housed across three heritage-listed buildings, Cairns Art Gallery is one of Australia’s leading public galleries.
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Cairns Art Gallery is proudly supported by Cairns Regional Council The Cairns Art Gallery is one of Australia’s most innovative regional galleries distinguished by its unique Pacific–rim identity and a commitment to promoting the visual art of Tropical North Queensland. The Gallery presents a diverse challenging and stimulating exhibitions program featuring works by local, national and international artists.

In 1995 photographer Kerry Trapnell was commissioned by the Cape York Land Council to take a series of portraits of seni...
23/05/2026

In 1995 photographer Kerry Trapnell was commissioned by the Cape York Land Council to take a series of portraits of senior Elders on Country and in community, discussing business, harvesting food and celebrating cultural rituals.

These images are historically significant as they were used to promote the voices of Indigenous peoples to support native title land claims following the Mabo Case in 1992.

Discover these works in our exhibition Captured: Photography From The Collection, which runs until 14 June in the Public Curators Building.

📷 Kerry TRAPNELL, b. 1956, Suzie Madua, last days in the old 'house', Mapoon 2000, Portrait of three generations of Pablo's, Alick, Gordon and James preparing to bury ancestral remains, White Point, Shelburne Bay 1995, Hunting and collecting food in the 'Aurukun supermarket', Aurukun ilfochrome photographic print on paper, purchased Cairns Regional Gallery with funds from the Friends of the Gallery, 2002

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/captured?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_69afb9dc00c31b4acb8626f6

Calling all comic book, manga and anime creators! This epic four-week course is 🫵your🫵 chance to learn how to create dig...
23/05/2026

Calling all comic book, manga and anime creators! This epic four-week course is 🫵your🫵 chance to learn how to create digital comics like the pros.

Join Lachlan of Judd Comics in to learn the ins and outs of digital illustration, creating awesome comics through file setup, layering, manual texture making and digital collage.

🎨 Digital Comics & Illustration, Four-Week Course With Lachlan Judd of Judd Comics
🧑‍🎨 Ages 13+
✨ Four-week course
📅 Thursdays, 4, 11, 18, 25 June 2026, 4–6pm
💰 $100 Members / $120 Non-Members

Very limited places, book quickly to avoid disappointment.

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/programs-events/digital-illustration?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a0fa95ff1a61d1b02c0838b

✨Open now – Woven Together: Undivided We Rise✨A powerful celebration of resilience, community, and cultural continuity, ...
22/05/2026

✨Open now – Woven Together: Undivided We Rise✨

A powerful celebration of resilience, community, and cultural continuity, the works in this exhibition weave together past and present, pain and hope.

The exhibition honours the trust of exhibiting artists Kim Ah Sam, Clare Jaque Vasquez, Jaeda Lenoy, Erica Muriata, Aunty Rosalind Sailor and Michona Warria, collaborating with Gangulu woman and curator Sabrina-Rose Toby.

Woven Together: Undivided We Rise runs until 22 Aug in the Court House Building.

Woven Together: Undivided We Rise is an Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts (Umbrella) exhibition. It was commissioned by Umbrella in partnership with the North Australian Festival of Arts (NAFA). Umbrella and NAFA are thankful for the support of Vivien Anderson Gallery representing Clare Jaque Vasquez, Kim Ah Sam and Erica Muriata, and Girringun Aboriginal Art Centre also representing Erica Muriata.

📷 Michona WARRIA, Kuku-Yalanji, Waanji, Kalkadoon and Torres Strait Island (Mabuiag Island), b.1998, Unceded 2025, raffia, emu feathers and beads 58 x 48 x 2cm, private collection, photograph: Amanda Galea


https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/woven-together?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a0fb5cef1a61d1b02c0d114

The Cairns Art Gallery and its Director, Angela Goddard, are delighted to announce the appointment of three new director...
22/05/2026

The Cairns Art Gallery and its Director, Angela Goddard, are delighted to announce the appointment of three new directors to the Cairns Art Gallery and Precinct Board (the Gallery’s governing body): Girramay, Yidindji and Kuku Yalanji artist Tony Albert; Director of TPG Architects, Roger Mainwood; and former Australian Government Senior Executive Manager, Mark Taylor.

These appointments bring formidable expertise and profile to the Board, and come at a pivotal time for Cairns Art Gallery, following the unification of the Court House Building and Mulgrave Building, along with the original Public Curators Building, into one Gallery.

Cairns Art Gallery is a growing force in Australia’s cultural landscape, and the appointment of Tony Albert, Roger Mainwood and Mark Taylor to its Board marks an exciting new chapter. Their collective vision, expertise and deep connections to this region will be invaluable as the Gallery continues to evolve.

After our last Thursday evening event was such a hit, we thought it would be rude not to do it again 🙃You are officially...
22/05/2026

After our last Thursday evening event was such a hit, we thought it would be rude not to do it again 🙃

You are officially invited to join us on Thursday 4 June as we open our Public Curators Building late for an evening of art, music and community from 5–8pm.

Delve deep into our current exhibition Christian Thompson: House of Gold with an artist talk featuring the exhibition's co-curator Con Gerakaris in conversation with Angela Goddard, Cairns Art Gallery Director and Nathan Lee Long, President of Cairns & District Chinese Association.

We will also have live music, a free guided tour and our balcony will be open for sunset drinks and nibbles 🤩

Our last event filled up fast, so make sure you book online to secure your spot! And yes... it's completely free!

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/programs-events/open-late-june4

Meet Keelie 🎨🤩 She's an remarkably talented young artist and experienced teacher and is ready to help your teen prepare ...
21/05/2026

Meet Keelie 🎨🤩 She's an remarkably talented young artist and experienced teacher and is ready to help your teen prepare for their university or higher education art application!

Keelie's four-week painting and creative portfolio building course will equip your teen with a portfolio for their application. They will also expand on their existing learnings and develop their unique style as an artist.

🎨 Painting and Creative Portfolio Building, Four-Week Course With Keelie Nicholls, Artist
🧑‍🎨 Ages 14+
✨ Four-week course
📅 Fridays 5, 12, 19, 26 June 2026, 4–6pm
💰 $180 Members / $215 Non-Members

Very limited places, book quickly to avoid disappointment.

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/programs-events/creative-expression?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a0ea5b26fd2d04915203fa3

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the incredible exhibition Zanny Begg: These Stories Will Be Diff...
19/05/2026

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the incredible exhibition Zanny Begg: These Stories Will Be Different closes on Saturday. Don't miss your chance to view these thought-provoking film installations.

Closes on Saturday 23 May. Exhibition located in the Mulgrave Building.

A UNSW Galleries and Museums & Galleries of NSW touring exhibition

📷 Cairns Art Gallery installation image

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/zanny-begg?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_699e8e1fca0103774f605c3c

Upon entering our exhibition Christian Thompson AO: House of Gold, his immensely vibrant 'Flower Walls' works are sure t...
18/05/2026

Upon entering our exhibition Christian Thompson AO: House of Gold, his immensely vibrant 'Flower Walls' works are sure to catch your eye.

Double Happiness and New Gold Mountain (Xin Jin Shan) play with the idea of visibility and invisibility, as he references enduring legacies of invisibility from two of his cultural lineages – both First Nations peoples and early Chinese migrants.

Dr Christian Thompson AO: House of Gold runs until 14 June in the Public Curators Building.

A 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art in partnership with Golden Dragon Museum 金龍博物館 supported by The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Global and touring with Museums & Galleries of NSW. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program. . Create NSW

📷 Dr Christian Thompson AO: House of Gold, Installation at Cairns Art Gallery, April 2026

Dr Christian Thompson AO, New Gold Mountain (Xin Jin Shan) 2021, c-type print on Fuji Pearl Metallic paper, Courtesy Studio Dr Christian Thompson AO, Sarah Scout Presents, Melbourne, Michael Reid Gallery, Sydney and Berlin, Dr Christian Thompson AO: House of Gold, Installation at Cairns Art Gallery, April 2026

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/house-of-gold?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_69df3a2c53084e68c30d2b72

In celebration of International Museum Day today, we thought we would highlight some of the incredible work that goes on...
18/05/2026

In celebration of International Museum Day today, we thought we would highlight some of the incredible work that goes on behind the scenes at Cairns Art Gallery, as most visitors only see what is on the surface 👀

Behind our exhibitions, there is:

🎨 A curator/curatorial team who designs the theme, narrative, layout and lighting for an exhibition. They also research and loan artworks from various institutions and private collections.

👩‍🚒 Tradespeople including painters, riggers and cabinet makers who prepare the space for upcoming exhibitions.

👨‍🍳 An installation team who hang/install all of the artwork to match the layout designed by the curatorial team.

💻 A marketing/comms team who design all collateral and exhibition signage, including labels and didactic, equipping you with information and context about what you are looking at.

🪡 A conservator who carries out restoration on works in the Gallery Collection.

🫵 Our customer service team who ensure you are having an incredible experience.

🏠 An external storage building where we store all of the works in the Gallery Collection.

In this ceramic work, Abel Pareroultja depicts the wildly popular desert metal group Warumpi band, known for their hits ...
17/05/2026

In this ceramic work, Abel Pareroultja depicts the wildly popular desert metal group Warumpi band, known for their hits such as Blackfella/ Whitefella, My Island Home and Fitzroy Crossing. This work introduces audiences to the ubiquitous presence of music in the desert. On the sides of the pot the gathered crowd can be seen enjoying the performance, while the musical subject, frontman George Burarrwanga, is iconised standing atop the pot with microphone in hand.

See this work in Of This Earth: Transforming culture and Country through First Nations ceramics. A National Gallery Touring Exhibition supported by The Australian Government through Visions of Australia. Runs until 14 June.

📷 Abel Pareroultja, George Burarrwanga – Warumpi Band, 2022, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, purchased 2023, installation view, Of This Earth: Transforming Culture and Country Through First Nations Ceramics, Cairns Art Gallery, 2026

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/of-this-earth?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_69e6df8a00f8fa24b39182d5

Fancy creating an abstract canvas to hang in your home? Master your own masterpiece over one weekend in this two-day wor...
16/05/2026

Fancy creating an abstract canvas to hang in your home? Master your own masterpiece over one weekend in this two-day workshop with artist Maharlina Gorospe-Lockie.

Maharlina will demonstrate expressive mark-making techniques using acrylic paint and mixed media, then will lead you through a process of building layers, responding to your own gestures and embracing experimentation.

All materials are provided — including a stretched and primed canvas — so you can jump straight in and start creating.

📅 Saturday 30 May 2026, 10.30am - 2.30pm and Sunday 31 May 2026, 10.30am - 1.30pm
✨ $175 Members, $200 Non-Members

Book online quickly, only a few places remain!

https://www.cairnsartgallery.com.au/whats-on/programs-events/abstract-acrylics-may-26?utm_name=sked&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=sked_6a069f9e96b64f61a89b5ea9

Address

Cnr Abbott & Shields Street
Cairns, QLD
4870

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 2pm

Telephone

+61740464800

Website

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