History
The former Malopolska Art Exhibition Office in Nowy Sacz known at present as BWA SOKOL Gallery – a branch of the Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL – continues the traditions of the local branch of Central Art Exhibition Halls in Warszawa, which had been conducting its exhibition activities in Nowy Sacz since 1949. As the organisation was lacking a permanent exhibition hall, its activities depended to a large extent upon the support of the local branch of Union of Polish Artists and Designers which was established in Nowy Sacz in 1945.
In 1957 local authorities of Nowy Sacz designated a building at No. 34 Jagiellonska Street to be used for exhibition purposes. The new gallery was managed by the Krakow branch of the Art Exhibition Centre. In 1977, after Nowy Sacz had become the seat of a province, that branch was transformed into an independent Art Exhibition Office. After modernisation the exhibition hall of the Art Exhibition Office had been situated at 34 Jagiellonska Street till 1991 and later moved to No. 2 Szwedzka Street. In 1999 its name was changed to Malopolska Art Exhibition Office in Nowy Sacz and it became a cultural institution under the supervision of the Marshall Office in Krakow.
Over the years Gallery held a number of group and individual shows of such accomplished artists as Stanisław Baj, Bolesław Barbacki, Stanisław Batruch, Grzegorz Bednarski, Vico Calabro, Jerzy Duda-Gracz, Andrzej Dudziński, Anna Guntner, Jozef Hałas, Edward Hartwig, Jerzy Jędrysiak, Zbigniew Kowalewski, Wincenty Kućma, Włodzimierz Kunz, Stanisław Kuskowski, Erich Lessing, Zbysław M. Maciejewski, Franciszek Maśluszczak, Kazimierz Mikulski, Romuald Oramus, Stanisław Puchalik, Maria Ritter, Stanisław Rodziński, Allan Rzepka, Jan Sawka, Janusz Stanny, Jerzy Świecimski, Jan Tarasin, Roland Topor, and Arkadiusz Waloch. Among the most interesting ones was the exhibition of Jozef Czapski's works, which was held at the Gallery in 1991 as one of his first shows in Poland.
On December 31, 2009 the local government assembly of the Malopolska Province has decided upon merging the Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL in Nowy Sacz with the Malopolska Art Exhibition Office. As a result of this transformation, activities of the two institutions are now carried out by a provincial self-government cultural institution known as Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL with its branch - BWA SOKOL Gallery. The Gallery has its seat at a modern, newly-erected western wing of the historical building of Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL.
On December 09, 2010 the Gallery opened its doors to the public with an inaugural project „Władysław Hasior – comeback”. It was a retrospective exhibition of this notable 20th century artists who was born and spent his youth in Nowy Sacz. The exhibition was accompanied by a Nationwide Scientific Conference entitled BORDERS OF MODERN ART – AROUND THE WORKS OF WŁADYSŁAW HASIOR and film projections of movies about Hasior works.
In 1957 local authorities of Nowy Sacz designated a building at No. 34 Jagiellonska Street to be used for exhibition purposes. The new gallery was managed by the Krakow branch of the Art Exhibition Centre. In 1977, after Nowy Sacz had become the seat of a province, that branch was transformed into an independent Art Exhibition Office. After modernisation the exhibition hall of the Art Exhibition Office had been situated at 34 Jagiellonska Street till 1991 and later moved to No. 2 Szwedzka Street. In 1999 its name was changed to Malopolska Art Exhibition Office in Nowy Sacz and it became a cultural institution under the supervision of the Marshall Office in Krakow.
Over the years Gallery held a number of group and individual shows of such accomplished artists as Stanisław Baj, Bolesław Barbacki, Stanisław Batruch, Grzegorz Bednarski, Vico Calabro, Jerzy Duda-Gracz, Andrzej Dudziński, Anna Guntner, Jozef Hałas, Edward Hartwig, Jerzy Jędrysiak, Zbigniew Kowalewski, Wincenty Kućma, Włodzimierz Kunz, Stanisław Kuskowski, Erich Lessing, Zbysław M. Maciejewski, Franciszek Maśluszczak, Kazimierz Mikulski, Romuald Oramus, Stanisław Puchalik, Maria Ritter, Stanisław Rodziński, Allan Rzepka, Jan Sawka, Janusz Stanny, Jerzy Świecimski, Jan Tarasin, Roland Topor, and Arkadiusz Waloch. Among the most interesting ones was the exhibition of Jozef Czapski's works, which was held at the Gallery in 1991 as one of his first shows in Poland.
On December 31, 2009 the local government assembly of the Malopolska Province has decided upon merging the Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL in Nowy Sacz with the Malopolska Art Exhibition Office. As a result of this transformation, activities of the two institutions are now carried out by a provincial self-government cultural institution known as Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL with its branch - BWA SOKOL Gallery. The Gallery has its seat at a modern, newly-erected western wing of the historical building of Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKOL.
On December 09, 2010 the Gallery opened its doors to the public with an inaugural project „Władysław Hasior – comeback”. It was a retrospective exhibition of this notable 20th century artists who was born and spent his youth in Nowy Sacz. The exhibition was accompanied by a Nationwide Scientific Conference entitled BORDERS OF MODERN ART – AROUND THE WORKS OF WŁADYSŁAW HASIOR and film projections of movies about Hasior works.
