Twenty-one years ago, in the winter of 2003, the newly completed multi-million-dollar Palmerin Streetscape development sparked a heated debate in the community.
The decision to plant deciduous trees along the main street, which stood leafless in winter, left many wondering how to bring warmth and charm to the area during the coldest months. Audrey Hoffmann, the Director of Warwick Art Gallery at the time, had a creative solution.
“I went to the council meeting with a big bag full of knitting yarns and a photograph of a jumper I had knitted for a deciduous tree in my garden,“ Audrey said.
“I emptied it all on the table and addressed the meeting.“
Her proposal was ambitious: “Councillors, as attendance statistics are important to you, I have a proposal which could greatly boost your gallery’s exhibition attendance. I ask for your support, financially and in-kind, to curate an outdoor exhibition of creative jumpers on our Palmerin Street deciduous trees, in the coldest month – July. I believe that this can bring the community together.”
Though initially met with stunned faces, the council responded positively, albeit tentatively. Hoffmann, along with Lyn Bryson and Col Furness, formed a committee to support the Gallery staff and the budding exhibition. The inclusion of jazz music was welcomed, adding a vibrant cultural dimension to the event.
As the community embraced the project, funding from the council, the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF), and donations from businesses and service clubs helped bring the event to life. RADF funding allowed the commissioning of artists such as Michael Pospischil, Rob Simcocks, Linda Stewart, Alain and Kate Colfs, and Paul Stumkat to create sculptural “jumpers“ for the town’s palm trees. Knitting tutor Jude Skeers was invited to offer workshops, while Kris Kemp nurtured the music component, bringing in the Caxton Street Players, local singer Deeny Kohler-Caporale, and the Warwick State High School Big Band to perform. Penny Davies and Roger Ilott at Restless Music wrote and recorded an original signature song for the festival, featuring Teri Welles on lead vocals.
Word of the event spread quickly, attracting textile tree jumpers from as far away as the UK. Audrey fondly remembers the installation of these creations with Gallery staff Linda Stewart and Teri Welles, marking the birth of the first Jumpers & Jazz in July Festival.
“For me, a lasting memory remains – a local businessman brought his aged mother from the nursing home in her wheelchair to see the trees all dressed up for winter,“ Audrey said.
Since its inception in 2004, the festival has flourished, showcasing a wide variety of textile creations from individuals and community organisations. Musicians, singers, and bands covering multiple genres of jazz fill Warwick with music for ten days in July. The town comes alive with art, crafts, activities, and a whole lot of yarn, celebrating the community spirit and creativity that Hoffmann’s original idea sought to ignite.
