Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art has been a major cultural, creative and economic feature of remote Australia for over forty years.  Despite this importance, there has been only limited detail on the scope and the scale of the art businesses that are so prominent in remote communities.  This presentation will highlight findings from the CRC-REP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Economies Project.  In particular, the value chain research that investigated the complexity, variability and detail of remote art business and identified trends that point to both challenges and opportunities for the future for artists and their art enterprises.

Tim Acker is the Principal Research Leader of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Economies Project at the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation (CRC-REP). He has over 15 years experience working with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and art centres.