How an ethical Aboriginal arts store is changing things in Launceston

So, the art dealer, who grew up in Launceston, founded a business to provide ethical avenues for buying. He wanted to sell the artists' work for the artists and help them preserve their culture.

Now, after eight years doing just that, he's finally opened a physical store for those artists.

And it's in his hometown.

In a Cimitiere Street loft in early March, Mr Hayes launched his new gallery and dealership for Art Ark, his social enterprise which sells authentic, ethically sourced First Nations works.

Unethical trading in the Aboriginal art space is prolific: fake Indigenous art, either inauthentic or created without Traditional Owners permission, currently makes up more than half of all purchased Aboriginal merchandise.

That inauthenticity has been a major discussion point for the Australian government in recent years.

Mr Hayes' new art dealership is stocked with dot paintings from Wirribee, woven fish sculptures from Elcho Island, Arnhem Land bark paintings and watercolours in the style of Albert Namatjira.

It's entirely unique for Northern Tasmania.

Previously entirely online, Mr Hayes said the physical store changes things: Art Ark can now promote trading and culture, and help to quell unethical practices happening across the country.

"It's something I'm proud of being a part of," Mr Hayes said.

"This way, we can reach a wider audience and we can inform people about the beauty of this art, the importance of this culture and giving these artists their dues."

Mr Hayes was working for Sotheby's - the biggest fine arts dealer in the world - when he started travelling between Aboriginal Art Centres in remote communities across the country.

He met plenty of First Nations artists and fell in love with the centres, which he called "the beating hearts of many Aboriginal communities".

The not-for-profit arts workshops- which are audited by the Australian government for authenticity - are, in many of the remote communities, "one of few buildings aside from homes, schools, a general store and maybe a police station".

"These are places where people can share culture, make art, support each other and, in a lot of cases, support their families through selling work," Mr Hayes said.

"When I was with Sotheby's, I was in these grassroots places working for people who were the complete opposite of grassroots. It didn't feel right."

Instead of continuing his work in the upper echelons of the art world, Mr Hayes founded Art Ark, working with the centres to consign work from the artists.

The business acts as middle man, selling the art on the artists' behalf and only keeping a portion of the profit for operational costs.

"This is often the best avenue for First Nations people to support their communities economically," Mr Hayes said.

"It's also a great sense of pride that people have been wanting to enjoy and appreciate their work across the world.

"Aboriginal art should be an uplifting thing that Australia has to offer on an international and national scale, something to be proud of and promote," Mr Hayes said.

"Unfortunately that's not the case; there's a lot of unethical trading. I hope that's changing because of places like this."