InkMasters Cairns | Printmakers from Cairns, Tropical North Queensland
https://inkmasterscairns.com.au
WHAT
InkMasters is a not-for-profit, volunteer organization located in a remote area of northern Australia. We have a broad-based membership, including indigenous and non-indigenous professional, emerging and new artists and non-artists as well.
WHO
WHEN
Inkmasters aims to facilitate the social and transformative experience of art within our community and through this to promote reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance. We have a long history of running workshops for community groups including indigenous communities and organizations and schools. We deliver regular printmaking courses and other activities for beginners through to masterclasses. Our open access workshop provides screen printing, intaglio,relief and lithography facilities.
We are an innovative and dynamic organization with a strong track record, producing four biennial multi-event InkFests iwhich includes the juried international InkMasters Print Award with donated prizes of $15000 in 2018, and the BIG PRINT community event plus bus tours to studios, public forums, artists-in-residence and other print related happenings.
InkMasters has participated in international print conferences, hosted several artists-in-residence and delivered many skills-based workshops. Individual InkMasters exhibit regularly at home and abroad in solo and group shows.
While the majority of our activities are self-funded, we are grateful for the backing of private and government entities and individuals who have provided such generous financial and in-kind support since our inception. Our members are to be commended for their continued commitment to the organization and to our aims.
And wherever you are in the world, artists are invited to enter the InkMasters Biennial Print Exhibition, and if at all possible, to join us at the next InkFest!
WHERE
WHY
Inkmasters is situated on the edge of the Coral Sea in Cairns in Tropical North Queensland and the focal point of a region which reaches north to the Torres Strait, west past the Atherton Tablelands, and south to Townsville. It is renowned for its unique environment and it is the only place in the world where two world heritage areas meet – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest.
Cairns is now one of the most exciting regions for printmaking in Australia. InkMasters, established in 2011, has been instrumental in making this happen. InkMasters has an exciting and full programme of events throughout the year. It includes international, national and local exhibitions as well as skills-development workshops and community engagement activities. We are an entirely volunteer run organization and if you would like become part of the team we would welcome your support. If you are a Centrelink client we are registered for Mutual Obligation volunteers.
InkFest is our biennial festival of printmaking and will be held for the 5th time in 2021 at IPW and Tanks Arts Centre, one of the most celebrated venues in Northern Australia, situated beside the tropical Flecker Botanic Gardens.
InkMasters vision:
- to facilitate the social and transformative experience of art within our community and through this to promote reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance.
- To promote, present and practice printmaking as an art form accessible to all levels of our community.
- To establish Cairns as a centre of printmaking excellence.
- To provide access to a multi-arts workshop for printmakers and the broader creative community.
Click on the link to visit our You Tube channel