Page 92 - Tropic Magazine Issue 18

TROPIC • ARTS

New era for UMI

Tropic sits down with UMI Arts
executive officer Peter Lenoy
to hear about the art centre’s
latest moves.
UMI Arts has boldly relocated
from the city to the suburbs.
Now occupying a large site in
Jensen Street, Manoora, the
organisation is setting itself up
for the future. Executive officer
Peter Lenoy explains.

UMI Arts has a new home in Manoora. Tell us a little more about the
What was the thinking behind the facilities at your new premises?
move? When you first walk into UMI’s new
The need to move was identified gallery, you’ll see a range of fantastic
during UMI’s recent strategic artworks but beyond the gallery and
planning to better connect gift shop we have all staff facilities
community with Far North and workspaces and a boardroom Peter Lenoy
Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres that also functions as a meeting/
Strait Islander arts and cultures training room. Plus, we’ve got senior
through exhibitions and markets, staff offices, an artist studio and
dance and music performances, storage space for artworks during
workshops and training, retail and exhibitions. We really love the natural
corporate gifts. This exciting new light coming into the space. You can
location brings us in line with the certainly tell there’s a new vibe about
Council’s Creative and Cultural the place when you enter.
Precinct and with Arts Queensland’s
10-Year Road Map Plan.
What special events do you have
planned in the future?
How will the move benefit the Lots! We currently have a Messmate
local community and also the arts Humpy project on our gallery floor,
community as a whole? a specially designed traditional their culture through art. CIAF
It makes UMI more accessible so Aboriginal gunyah which provides draws buyers from across Australia
that we can re-engage with our long shelter from the rain during the wet and is a magnet bringing artists
term members and recruit new season. We are entering our peak and industry stakeholders together.
ones. We anticipate our members period where we’ll be celebrating Art is a common thread that binds
will pop in and participate in our our Big Talk One Fire charitable us all. CIAF is important to UMI
exciting and unique visual art, craft, Indigenous Cultural festival at Arts as it offers the opportunity
dance, and music programs topped Fogarty Park at the end of June, then for us to fulfil our mandated role
with an exciting calendar of events we’ll host our Freshwater Saltwater of being the regional art incubator
throughout the year. Members who exhibition in early July. We’ll also be hub, kick-starting the supply chain
participate in our programs leave showcasing our local talent at the of developing emerging artists into
with new skills, knowledge, and a Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, then off fully independent artists in their
strengthened confidence with many to Darwin for their art fair in August. own right. UMI Arts is responsible
going on to maintain a sustainable for capacity building the region’s
cultural business or to meaningful artists, helping them become
employment in the creative industries What does the future look like for CIAF ready through our exhibition
sector. We are very excited about ATSI arts organisations in Far North ready programs and side-by-side
Queensland?
this move, and hope members of the The future will remain vibrant with workshops.
community will come in and say hello CIAF leading the way, providing the
and visit the gallery and retail shop perfect vehicle for artists to showcase MORE: umiarts.com.au
for that special gift for a loved one.

92 • Tropic • Issue 18