After a successful two-year tenure, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair’s Artistic Director, Francoise Lane, has announced her resignation and will step down on 6 September 2024, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her career.
Ms Lane expressed her heartfelt gratitude and reflected on the recent success of CIAF 2024, which marked the 15th-anniversary celebration of Queensland First Nations arts and culture.
“This year’s event was truly remarkable, with so much to be thankful for, including the largest Art Fair to date, featuring over 700 unique artworks,” said Ms Lane.
“We were blessed with sold-out fashion performances of Country Speaking: Light the Fire, a memorable night of Music at Tanks featuring the two female powerhouses, Barkaa and Simone Stacey, immersive workshops, and engaging yarns and speakers at the CIAF Symposium,” she said.
For Ms Lane, a particular highlight of CIAF 2024 was the opening of the signature exhibition Not Selling Cakes: Celebrating 15 Years of CIAF, a testament to the vibrant legacy built by the organisation since its inception in 2009.
Ms Lane also acknowledged the contribution of new partners such as the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, Cairns Museum, Brisbane Portrait Prize, and WOW Australia, who helped make the event a resounding success.
Reflecting on her time at CIAF, Ms Lane said, “Since joining CIAF in August 2022, it has been an absolute honour to serve as Artistic Director and to help shape the 2023 and 2024 Art Fairs,” she said.
“My focus has been positioning CIAF as the premier Queensland event celebrating First Nations arts and culture in alignment with the Strategic Plan.”
“I am particularly proud of my role in launching the Bloom and Catapult programs to accelerate Queensland’s emerging and independent artists to a point where they can leverage the opportunities that CIAF brings,” said Ms Lane.
CIAF Chair Dr Bianca Beetson thanked Francoise for her dedication and leadership. “On behalf of the Board and the entire CIAF community, I want to extend our deepest thanks to Francoise for her outstanding contribution over the past two years,” said Dr Beetson.
“Francoise’s vision and passion have elevated CIAF to new heights, and her legacy will continue to inspire us as we move forward. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours,” she said.
Dr Beetson also announced that the recruitment process for a new Artistic Director will commence in the coming weeks.
“We are committed to finding the right individual who will continue to build on the solid foundation laid by Francoise and further advance CIAF’s mission of celebrating and promoting Queensland First Nations arts and culture to a local, national and global audience,” said Dr Beetson.
Ms Lane will continue to work on the Big Sculpture touring exhibition at the Brisbane Powerhouse as part of the Brisbane Festival until she departs from CIAF in early September.
For more information about the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, visit: www.ciaf.com.au for details.
Image: Francoise Lane – courtesy of CIAF and Blueclick Photography