As 2025 comes to a close, we are reflecting on a remarkable year of creativity, collaboration, learning and deeper community connection at Kaiela Arts.
Our studio has continued to grow as a hub for artistic practice and cultural exchange, with 40 Yorta Yorta and First Nations artists working across painting, ceramics, printmaking, weaving and sculpture.
Kaiela Arts also recorded a 19 per cent increase in revenue during 2025, helping us continue our journey towards self-determination, cultural revitalisation and stronger connections across generations.
Thank you to our artists, members, partners, supporters and wider community for being part of another incredible year.
Major projects and commissions
Throughout 2025, we had the pleasure of working with a wide range of artists, curators, organisations and cultural partners.
These collaborations helped us develop new relationships while sharing the work, stories and cultural knowledge of Kaiela Arts artists with new audiences.
Major projects and commissions included:
- The Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair at Melbourne Art Fair
- The RISING Festival Art Tram, led by Kaiela Arts Elders and co-curated by Belinda Briggs
- TarraWarra Biennial: We Are Eagles, curated by Kimberley Moulton
- Cultural Medicine at the University of Melbourne, developed through a collaboration involving more than 12 artists, led by Lyn Thorpe and supported by the Rumbalara Elders Facility
These projects created important opportunities for our artists to strengthen their professional practices and share Yorta Yorta culture within major public and cultural spaces.
National recognition for Kaiela Arts artists and programs
Kaiela Arts participated in several high-profile and nationally recognised arts events across Victoria, the Northern Territory and Queensland during 2025.
Highlights included:
- Presenting works by 14 artists at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair
- Celebrating Jack Anselmi and Norm Yakaduna Stewart being shortlisted for the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards
- Presenting our Nurturing Nanyak youth engagement model at the Indigenous Art Centre Alliance Conference in Cairns
These opportunities helped bring greater national recognition to our artists, programs and community-led approach.
We are proud to see artists from our region represented within important national conversations about First Nations art, culture and creative practice.
Creative collaborations grounded in culture
In March, we began our partnership with Gammin Threads through a T-shirt workshop led by Tahnee Edwards.
The partnership later developed into the release of the popular Yorta Yorta Bayadherra T-shirt, featuring artwork by Kaiela Arts artist Ally Knight.
The collaboration created an opportunity to share local stories and artwork through wearable design while building new creative and commercial pathways for our artists.
The second year of our Elders Cultural Arts Program also began in June.
Delivered in partnership with the Rumbalara Elders Facility, the program uses creative workshops to support cultural connection, storytelling and wellbeing.
Tarli Dean Atkinson has done a wonderful job coordinating engaging workshops and building relationships with participating Elders and facility staff.
Launching Kaiela Arts Editions
In November, we launched Kaiela Arts Editions with artist Maree Clarke in collaboration with Spacecraft and with support from Vivien Anderson Gallery.
Maree Clarke is a Mutti Mutti, Wamba Wamba, Yorta Yorta and Boonwurrung artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores culture, Country, identity and history.
Kaiela Arts Studio Manager Tarn Parker worked closely with Maree and the Spacecraft team throughout the printmaking process.
The collaboration also involved connecting with the Barmah and Cummeragunja communities, ensuring the project remained grounded in relationships with community, culture and Country.
Kaiela Arts Editions has created new opportunities to develop specialist print-production skills while presenting significant First Nations artworks to audiences and collectors.
Celebrating culture and storytelling through exhibitions
Our exhibitions celebrate the cultural and creative expression of local Aboriginal artists through a collective and community-led curatorial approach.
Grounded in the work produced within our studio, the exhibitions presented throughout 2025 highlighted the strength and diversity of our community’s creative voices.
They also created opportunities for artists to present their work both individually and collectively.
Exhibition highlights included:
- Brett Wilson’s solo exhibition at Murran Hub in Geelong
- Stories Told on Country, a solo exhibition by Glennys Briggs at Kaiela Arts
- The NAIDOC group exhibition at Walkway Gallery, Tatura Community House
Through these exhibitions, artists were able to share personal experiences, cultural knowledge and connections to Country with audiences within and beyond the Kaiela Dungala region.
Leadership within the First Nations arts sector
Members of the Kaiela Arts team presented at the Indigenous Art Centre Alliance Conference during 2025.
The Indigenous Art Centre Alliance is the peak body supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres across northern Queensland and the Torres Strait.
Our team shared Kaiela Arts’ approach to intergenerational leadership and youth engagement, including the ways Elders, artists, young people and community members contribute to our programs and organisational direction.
We were proud to have our work recognised within the sector for its commitment to cultural continuity, community governance and strong intergenerational relationships.
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond
The foundations established during 2025 will allow Kaiela Arts to continue developing cultural, creative and economic opportunities for our artists and wider community.
We are pleased to have secured:
- Four years of funding for the Galnyatj Schools Program, continuing through to 2029
- Two years of funding for CeramicsLab
This support will enable us to continue delivering meaningful creative programs, strengthening professional opportunities and supporting connections between culture, community and future generations.
We look forward to building on the relationships and achievements of 2025 throughout the coming year.
Become a Kaiela Arts member
Kaiela Arts membership is open to First Nations artists and community members with Yorta Yorta family connections, as well as members of other mobs living within the Kaiela Dungala region.
Applications are reviewed and approved by the Kaiela Arts Board.
Membership fees
Full Artist Membership: $50 per year
Concession Artist Membership: $40 per year
Junior Artist Membership: $30 per year
Becoming a member is an opportunity to connect with the Kaiela Arts community, participate in creative opportunities and contribute to the ongoing growth of our organisation.
Thank you for being part of our community
Thank you to everyone who supported Kaiela Arts throughout 2025.
Our artists, members, Elders, staff, partners, funders, collectors and visitors make it possible for us to continue creating spaces where culture, creativity and community can thrive.
We look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026.
Stay connected with Kaiela Arts
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