Karina Devine, Director, Warwick Art Gallery and Jolanta Szymczyk, Artist presented 'Parallel Visions 15,000km apart' at Opening Doors: 2019 M&G QLD Conference

1. “Parallel
Visions
15,000 km
apart”
“Opening Doors”
Museums & Galleries Queensland Conference 2019
Presentation by
Karina Devine and Jolanta Szymczyk
Warwick Art Gallery/Independent Artist
Jolanta Szymczyk’s conference attendance is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of
the Australian, state and territory governments.
The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Ipswich City
Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

2. “Parallel Visions - 15,000
km apart”
• Two Events – Worlds Apart
• Origins
• Growth
• Successes & Challenges
• Lessons learnt
• Where from here

3. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Warwick, Queensland, Australia
• Regional Town, Southern
Darling Downs
• Main industry - rural land.
• Located 160km from Brisbane
• A creative hub with a culture of
sport and leisure group
participation
Gdynia, Poland
• Established in 1920s
• Post WWII & competing
demands
• Economical and political
transitions of 1970s-1990s in
Central Europe
• Australian presence

4. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
• 1996 – now
• Alexandra Bibrowicz-Sikorska’s
Vision for event
• Economical and organisational
challenges
• Opening Doors – from a challenge
to opportunities
• European Day of Museums &
Galleries
• 2004 – now
• Audrey’s Vision for her community
• Key organizational decisions
• Curatorial leadership
• Major growth spike 2009 onwards
• Visitors
• Community ownership

5. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Two Events – Worlds Apart
Origins
• Jumpers and Jazz Festival, Warwick, Queensland
• Warwick Art Gallery partnerships
• Conceived by Audrey Hoffman
• Artistic Direction: Karina Devine
• Attracts 30,000 plus visitors annually
• Volunteer/community group run

6. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Two Events – World Apart
Origins
Baltic Mini Textile Exhibition
Museum City of Gdynia, Poland
Initiated in 1996 by Aleksandra Bibrowicz-Sikorska
Curator: Dr Anna Śliwa
Attracts all demographic age and social groups
Visitors: artists, interests groups, schools and most recently
cultural tourism
Volunteers/community groups involved in the lead up and
during the events

7. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Growth - Jumpers and Jazz in July
2019 – 15th festival;
1) Equals the famous Warwick Rodeo
2) Establishment of “signature” experiences
3) International recognition
4) Platform for textile artists

8. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Growth - Baltic Mini Textile (BMT)
2019 - 11th Edition;
1) Strategic Partnerships - the world’s largest and
oldest textile exhibition, Central Poland
2) From Europe to global presence
3) Global collaborations (USA, Germany, Australia)
4) Over 1000 artworks submitted from around the
globe

9. “Parallel Visions - 15,000
km apart”
Successes & challenges
1) Focus on yarn and craft
2) Profile elevation for Warwick Art Gallery
3) Positive community benefits
4) Economic Sustainability
5) Staying unique and surprising

10. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Successes and Challenges (BMT)
• 2019 - 11th Edition;
• Size matter (20cmx20cmx20cm)
• 400+ works in the Museum’s permanent collection
• Toured Australia 2011-2014
• Win-win scenario
• Global awareness & Australian Artists in the
collection (6 from Qld and 1 from Victoria)
• Creativity beyond national and cultural
borders

11. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Successes & challenges (BMT)
The power of small
• Accessibility
• Portability
• Low entry cost to access global exposure
• Barriers to make/create/share limited
• Minimised transfer/transport/exhibition costs
• Inclusiveness
• Contemporary language of expression
• Timeless

12. “Parallel Visions -
15,000 km apart”
Lessons learnt
• Leadership is vital
• It’s not always about the dollar
• Keep evolving

13. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
Lessons learnt (BMT)
•Freedom and choice in relation to theme,
techniques and materials
•New boundaries and frontiers of textile medium
•Open interpretation

14. “Parallel Visions - 15,000
km apart”
Where from here
• Nurturing and developing partnerships
• Showcasing old and new skills
• Think globally but stay connected to community

15. “Parallel Visions -
15,000 km apart”
Where from here (BMT)
• Expanding beyond national boundaries
• International and national touring
• Curated events and talks
• Cross discipline collaborations

16. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”
“Wrap up”
• Early participation 
• Tactile experiences 
• How to ….sessions 
• Involve children 
• Affiliated events 
• Community participation 
• Profile building
• Valued by the community 
• Global awareness 

17. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”

18. “Parallel Visions - 15,000 km apart”

19. “Parallel
Visions
15,000 km
apart”
Presenters:
Karina Devine
Gallery Director Warwick Art Gallery, Qld, Australia
w:warwickartgallery.com.au
Jolanta Szymczyk
Independent Artist, Studio 88
w: jstudio88.net FB: jstudio88/
Jolanta Szymczyk’s conference attendance is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of
the Australian, state and territory governments.
The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Ipswich City
Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.