Mia is a founding co-director of Sister, an artist-run gallery and project space, based in Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide), South Australia, which opened in February 2017 and had its last event in June 2019.

Sister, run by a dedicated team of volunteer artist Co-Directors, exhibited a range of contemporary artwork from South Australia, interstate and overseas, in exhibition and satellite events, online and through publication. In doing so we attempted tap into the current themes and issues that compel our next generation of artists, digesting Australian art within the context of our rapidly changing, networked world. Our public program included artist talks, discussion groups, film screenings, workshops, performances and lectures.

Existing within a space of highly competitive rounds for limited funding and unstable short-term leases, precarity and unknowns are a constant for artists and artist-run organisations. This climate demands resilience and flexibility, which is why we continued to expand our programming into alternative models, such as Sister Online, one-night events and off-site projects, such as Greater Union for HoBiennale 2017. We were interested in the way artists are shifting into unexplored terrains to adapt to our current climate; transforming their methods of making and modes of presentation materially, ideologically, politically and technologically.

Sister functioned as an experimental pedagogical environment for our Co-Directors, volunteers and exhibiting artists. Sisters’ model of operation strongly promoted collaborative ways of working with artists and management of the gallery. We were focused on providing extensive support, curatorial and installation assistance to all exhibiting artists. We tried to maintain this ethos as we continued to learn from and adapt to our community’s needs.  As a volunteer-run organisation, community and collaboration was a practical necessity but also an incredible strength. Sister as a community utilised many different talents which we shared with each other.