LOCAL art societies have been assured they will be able to exhibit their works at the Cairns Regional Gallery next year.

The groups – Cairns Art Society, Cairns Photographic Society Inc, Kuranda Arts Co-operative, Cairns Potters Club, local independent artists and other independent groups – wrote to the gallery this month to express their concerns, including fears of being barred from showing three major annual art exhibitions at the gallery.

The Cairns Regional Gallery board initially told The Weekend Post it would be unable to provide a definite answer to the art societies until March. But after pressure from local arts groups, it is understood the gallery board chairman Roy Payne has arranged a meeting early next year with the newly-appointed gallery director, Andrea May Churcher, who is currently on leave.

Cairns Art Society president Jennie Scott said the groups had been frustrated at being kept out of the loop about the 2012 program.

"Cairns is really struggling at the moment and I feel now is the time the gallery should be looking after these societies," she said.

Visual Arts Association of Far North Queensland president Lone White said local arts groups lobbied for the Cairns Regional Gallery to be established in 1931 and deserve to be included in the policy discussions.

"We all fought to get this gallery and then when we did we decided it should have a high-level of community involvement and encompass all groups," she said.

Mr Payne said he had been unable to give the groups a timeline for the exhibitions as "there will be major works done and we'll be juggling exhibitions around that work".

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