Today the Australian Government is announcing funding for initiatives that will benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists throughout Australia.

Funding of $242,000 will be provided to five projects through the 2014-15 Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS) program which supports industry service organisations and Indigenous-owned art centres.

These centres are the source of some of Australia's most dynamic visual art. They provide the infrastructure and access to relationships that allow artists to create new art, develop professional skills and connect to the commercial art market.

The funded initiatives include technical training by Desart in the Northern Territory for Story Art Money, the art cataloguing and sales system used by over 60 Indigenous art centres nationally. The Arts Law Centre of Australia in New South Wales will deliver a tailored culturally appropriate will-writing service through its Artists in the Black program, Umi Arts in far north Queensland will finalise and deliver a tailored tertiary education certificate in Indigenous visual arts industry work and the Papulankutja Artists in Western Australia will rebuild its fire-damaged gallery and art store.

The IVAIS program provides core funding to around 80 Indigenous-owned art centres and five service organisations that provide professional opportunities to over 6,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists and 300 arts workers, most living in remote communities.

Indigenous art centres are often the hub of remote communities and play a significant role in providing training, economic development, leadership and employment opportunities for Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

More information about the Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support Program can be found on the Ministry for the Arts website.