Portraits of tea cosies

Tea cosies are funny little things that evoke in us nostalgic memories and deep familial love. Warwick Art Gallery is collaborating with the Queen of Tea Cosies and author of three best selling Tea Cosy books, Loani Prior, to gather tea cosy stories at this year’s Jumpers and Jazz in July Festival.
“At my very first book event in 2008, Joan, a complete stranger to me, brought a tea cosy to show me,” Loani said.
“She held that cosy close to her heart while she told me its story. Her grandmother had made the cosy when she was a young bride and used it every day of her life.
“Joan’s mother had whisked the cosy away proprietarily on the grandmother’s death. Now it was Joan’s. The tea cosy was almost 80-years-old, threadbare, tannin stained and very well loved.”
Like Joan at that first book event, every tea cosy guardian has a story to tell and they are keen to tell it. Anyone with a tea cosy and a story is invited to share it at this very special event on Wednesday, July 25, from 10am.
Professional photographer, Mark Crocker, has been commissioned to photograph participants with their tea cosies.
Mark is a Brisbane based photographer working in all areas of commercial photography, publication, portraiture and events.
He has a background in visual arts, having worked in painting and community arts for many decades.
He studied at Chiron College in Sydney, followed by the Victorian College of the Arts.
Mark will also teach a workshop in portrait photography during the festival. Places are limited for this one-off opportunity to learn tips from a professional photographer on Thursday, July 26, and Friday, July 27.
Loani herself will interview each tea cosy guardian and record their stories. The audio recordings and photographs will be produced into a travelling exhibition that will premiere at Jumpers and Jazz in July in 2013 and then travel to other galleries in Longreach, Hervey Bay, Miles and Mittagong.
This project has received financial assistance from the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
To be a part of this delightful project or to book one of the places in Mark Crocker’s workshop, phone Warwick Art Gallery on
(07) 4661 0434.