The Wena Gallery is now open!
The culmination of five editions of the Starak Family Foundation's Wena Grant Program and their lasting effect is the Wena Gallery, established in December 2023 – an exhibition space belonging to the Starak Family Foundation at 8 Bobrowiecka Street in Warsaw.
The gallery presents works created as part of award-winning educational and artistic projects in the Starak Family Foundation's “Wena” Grant Program Competitions since 2019, carried out by art high schools or clearly inspired by them.
Galeria "Wena" Fundacji Rodziny Staraków, ul. Bobrowiecka 8 w Warszawie
The presented project results are characterized by: the maturity of young artists, brought out and shaped by their teacher; a profound message; original techniques and means of expression; and teamwork using the project method.
The motivation and inspiration for creating the Gallery came from visits to art schools implementing educational and artistic concepts awarded in the “Wena” Grant Program competitions. The achievements of young people are often locked away in a drawer, closet, or school. In conversations with young people, we heard above all about their great desire and search for suitable spaces to publicly present their work outside the school studio. This is an expression of the natural need of every artist to establish a dialogue with the audience.
Just as every journey begins with a first step, every gallery begins its life with a first painting.
To start with, we have brought together the tangible results of two scalable projects that are important for the artistic development of students, implemented beyond the school curriculum:
“Personal Fragments,” a project carried out by the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Żory under the supervision of teacher and artist Dr. Małgorzata Szram-Lipka, awarded in the third edition of the ‘Wena’ Grant Program Competition of the Starak Family Foundation, entitled “The World from My Window”
and
“Culture Doesn't Hurt. Me+You=Us!”, a project carried out by the Jacek Malczewski State High School of Fine Arts in Częstochowa, under the supervision of graphic design teachers Elżbieta Siwik and Agnieszka Tyrman, awarded in the second edition of the “Wena” Grant Program Competition entitled “Closeness and interpersonal relationships.”
The first to appear in the “Wena” Gallery was a photograph of a large-format mosaic entitled “Personal Fragments,” which was the result of teamwork by the students participating in the project. The original mosaic can be viewed at the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Żory. The exhibition featured a detail of the mosaic in the form of two original fragments created by Amelia Ćwiek, a student of the art school in Żory.
Photograph of a large-format mosaic created as part of the project
“Personal Fragments,” LSP Żory
A detail of the mosaic in the form of an original fragment—a ceramic tile,
made by Amelia Ćwiek, a student of an art teacher in Żory.
Martyna Zniszczoł, a student, took part in the above project, during which she encountered mosaic material for the first time in practice at workshops at the Grześkiewicz Studio in Warsaw. The student's enormous involvement in the “Personal Fragments” project, learning new techniques during the project, as well as the wonderful mentoring and guidance of Dr. Małgorzata Szram-Lipka in the large-format workshop, greatly opened up the young artist's creativity, emboldened her, and influenced her decision to prepare her diploma thesis also in the large-format mosaic technique.
Martyna Zniszczoł created a mosaic entitled “Two Omens - Hope and Rebirth.” The work was recognized by the artistic community, distinguished during her diploma defense and at the Biennial of Distinguished Diploma Works in Częstochowa. The work was appreciated by the Starak Family Foundation, which decided to purchase it. The mosaic is currently on display at the “Wena” Gallery and is a prime example of the great value of students undertaking activities beyond the core curriculum, which can open them up to something completely new, spark their interest, ignite their imagination, and be that proverbial spark.
Diploma thesis by Martyna Zniszczoł, graduate of the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Żory,
large-format mosaic entitled “Two omens - hope and rebirth”
In the case of the Częstochowa artist's project, we present a collection of unique posters created as part of the eighth edition of the social campaign “Culture Doesn't Hurt” under the slogan “Me + You = Us.” The students responded to the theme of the competition, “Closeness and interpersonal relationships,” by addressing the topics of tolerance, closeness, trust, respect, and empathy in contrast to aggression, isolation, and hatred in shared public spaces. The project was not created purely for the sake of a grant. It was recognized by the Competition Jury for its durability and continuity. The collection of social posters is an example of activism in art and its social engagement.
A collection of social posters created as part of a project by an artist from Częstochowa.
Dr. Ewa Klekot, cultural and art anthropologist, translator, assistant professor at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw, and member of the jury of the “Kunszt” program run by the Starak Family Foundation, which supports new artistic crafts, visited the gallery and praised the works. She also emphasized the role of the Gallery and the entire concept of the “Wena” Grant Program in bringing together and building a community of young artists.
The Gallery was visited by the Chapter of the “Wena” Grant Program, which highly rated the quality and selection of the works, as well as the important social role of their public presentation in the context of the achievements and portfolios of young artists who are linking their future with art.
The jury of the “Wena” Grant Program during a tour of the exhibition at the “Wena” Gallery
The jury of the “Wena” Grant Program during a tour of the exhibition at the “Wena” Gallery
From left: Sebastian Cichocki – Curator of the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw,
Prof. Tomasz Milanowski – Dean of the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw,
Prof. Piotr Korduba, PhD, Adam Mickiewicz University – Vice-Chairman of the Chapter, Director of the Institute of Art History at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań,
Helena Czernecka – art historian,
Michał Borowik – art collector, Borowik Collection
Wiesława Giedrojć, Member of the Board of the Starak Family Foundation
