How a festival’s legacy shifts perception

With 1.4 million people having attended Tarnanthi since its inception, ArtsHub takes a look at the festival’s impact in shifting outdated perceptions around Indigenous art.

In 2015, when the Art Gallery of South Australia launched Tarnanthi: Festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Art, the sector could hardly predict the level of its impact.

First, the mining giant BHP came to the table to secure the festival for five years with $17.54 million. This year they committed to another three years of support in the delivery of the festival through to 2023.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina