Online art fairs changed the game for Indigenous art. Here’s how to buy it

It’s been a tough three years for many of Australia’s Aboriginal arts centres. As the pandemic unfolded, and with the Northern Territory – where many are located – implementing strict border closures, things were looking grim for regional and remote art makers who are largely dependent on tourism.

But thanks to a swift pivot online, what could have been a crisis became something of a boom.

“We couldn’t travel interstate and all tourism stopped – but we were amazed by how quickly art galleries and art fairs moved to online,” says Ruth McMillan, art coordinator of Tangentyere Artists in Alice Springs. “For us, the online art fair has been fantastic. It meant that income didn’t