Amharcealaín - Visual Art

Ballina Arts Centre

Ballina Civic Offices, Arran Place, Ballina, Co. Mayo.                                                                                                           T: 096 73593  E: ballinaartscentre@gmail.net W: www.ballinaartscentre.com

Finders of Islands: Louise Butler                                                                                                                                     Official Opening: Wednesday 8th September, 8pm

Louise Butler's investigations of her surrounding landscape, from her locality, to lands further a field, makes her more aware of the human interventions that are marking the landscape. The idea that nature has become mediated by tourist attractions, explaining where the best places to experience nature from, thus turning the wilderness into an object to be consumed, interests Louise also. The more controlling human presence telling us what we should want from nature, the more we want the pure untouched 'original' version of nature.Louise's practice flows easily between 2D and 3D work, with painting at the foreground, to create her idealised places of escape. Here the artificial blend with the organic in sublime and uncanny ways. This blurring of the real is created through various techniques of pouring and allowing the paint to bleed on the surface of the canvas. Intimate memories of landscapes and paint become one to form Louise's dreamlike worlds. Mountains and islands form the main body of imagery within the paintings, buildings and dwellings are set in these idealistic locations making them an ideal place for an escapist's dreams. These are not all utopias though; people invade the images exploring the Louise's personal landscapes just as they would real ones. Louise is constantly re-inventing and experimenting with new ways to convey her ideas.

Louise Butler graduated N.C.A.D. in 2006 and has been showing regularly in and around Ireland over the last few years. She lives and works in Dublin.

Free admission. All are welcome to attend, exhibition runs until 2nd October.

CUSTOM HOUSE STUDIOS

The Quay, Westport, Mayo   T: 098-28735. E: customhouse@eircom.net  W: www.customhousestudios.ie

David Finn August 19th - September 12th                                                                                                                         His practice involves a continuous process of accumulating found materials and imagery. He is interested in the richness of the abstract visual language that exists within these found materials. t stimulates ideas for new work and sometimes becomes the work itself. His work is to a large part minimalist abstract painting. Recently he has started to exhibit other forms together with these paintings, such as the found objects themselves.

Workhouse Studios August 19th - September 12th                                                                                                     Established in October 2008, Workhouse Studios is located in the historic Kilmacthomas Workhouse which was built in 1851 in the townland of Carriganonshagh (Rock of the Female Idiots). The Workhouse was one of many throughout Ireland and was built to receive the victims of the famine of (1845-47), and the destitute thereafter. The building was designed to give a pleasing outward appearance, with its mullioned windows and gabled roofs. Inside however, bleakness and austerity was what the Poor Law Commissioners were interested in, to discourage any but the really destitute to enter its doors.

In total contrast to the original intention of the workhouse site, Workhouse Studios' designers have re-energised and rejuvenated the historic buildings (with not a female idiot in sight!). Set in the chapel building Workhouse Studios houses six of Ireland's newest craft talents and is a hive of creative, diverse and enthusiastic energy. Workhouse Studios was set up by Sabrina Meyns, Claire McAlister and Eily O'Connell (jewellery designers), Ann Nolan (textile designer), Aisling Cook and Maggie Cashman (glass designers). The groups designer's each play an active role in developing the offering, from designing and building the website, to the display units and the studio itself.

Collectively, Workhouse Studios has been created and developed by the designers involved and is a reflection of their commitment to revolutionising Irish design. The group hopes that their studio will have a positive impact on the surrounding areas.

For further information contact Workhouse Studios at www.workhousestudios.com × info@workhousestudios.com × +353.87.96.08.766 or visit them on Facebook

Or contact the gallery directly, at Custom House Studios × customhouse@eircom.net  × + 353 098 28735

An  Elusive  Light by  Deirdre Walsh                                                                                                                             Opening by Veronica  Bolay on Thursday September 16th   at  7.30pm  pm.   Exhibition runs until October 10th 2010.

Paintings of landscape of South Mayo and Lough Cara. Deidre records the nuances of colour brought about by changing light.  The light is often elusive and difficult to chase but leaves the artist in awe with each attempt to capture it.

Deidre Walsh studied at the Arts Student League in New York under Richard Goetz from 1988 -1991.  She has had solo exhibitions in Linenhall arts centre, Castlebar, Co Mayo, Blue Leaf Gallery Dublin, Garter Lane arts Centre Waterford, Belmullet Co Mayo.  Group exhibitions include  R.H.A Dublin, Cork Arts Society, Ormeau Baths Belfast, Guinness Hop Store Dublin, Irish Arts Centre London, Boston College Mass, Wild Plum Gallery New York.

LINENHALL ARTS CENTRE

Linenhall St, Castlebar, Mayo.  T: 094 9023733 E: linenhall@anu.ie W: www.thelinenhall.com

Rory Breslin - Some Attachments and Severance. Friday 3rd - Saturday 25th September                                       An exciting exhibition of bronze sculptures and drawings by Mayo-based sculptor Rory Breslin. Though Breslin’s exquisitely executed works are based in figurative realism, the tensions and disfigurements within them create uneasy viewing, often evoking the Classical man/monster myths of antiquity. Breslin’s skill resides in his capacity to balance orthodox representation with at times a voracious and rich subconscious. A former lecturer in NCAD, and co-founder of the Head Sculpture Gallery in Dublin, Rory Breslin has had numerous solo drawing and sculpture exhibitions, both nationally and farther afield (Europe, US) and has executed a large body of public commissions.  Adm.: free

Official opening on Friday 3rd September at 7.30pm. All welcome.

Vanessa Daws - Cascade.  Friday 1st - Saturday 30th October                                                                                       An exhibition that combines painting, sculpture, drawing and animation in a tumbling, energetic series of visual artworks by Vanessa Daws. Cascade does not only reflect Vanessa’s intuitive process, where one artwork triggers and shapes the idea for the next, it also refers to the artist’s ongoing fascination with water, as inspiration and source of creative energy. Vanessa has exhibited widely in Ireland and in London, and her work is engaging and accessible to all ages. Cascade promises to be no exception.  Adm.: free.  Official opening on Friday 1st October at 7.30pm. All welcome.

Lundbeck Art Exhibition - Thursday 7th - Saturday 16th October                                                                                The annual visual art exhibition resulting from the Lundbeck Art Initiative, which was established to encourage artistic expression among those using the mental health services throughout Ireland, with the aim of creating an opportunity for a better understanding of mental illness in the community and allowing those suffering from such illness a greater means of self-expression.

 Official opening on Thursday 7th October at 2.30pm. All welcome.

ÁRAS INIS GLUAIRE

ÁISLEANN BHÉAL AN MHUIRTHEAD, BELMULLET, T: 097 81079

Westscapes’ Exhibition                                                                                                                                                           An exhibition of paintings by Annette Gaffney, titled ‘Westscapes’ (launch date August 26) will be on display in the Áras Inis Gluaire gallery until September 21.

An exhibition by Agnes Nyland, from Castlebar, will be launched on Thursday, September 23. The works will be on display until October 19. All are welcome to the launch.

"TOUCH”, Art Exhibition by Castleboyle Artists                                                                                                       Castleboyle Artists includes eight graduates from Castlebar GMIT Art &Design 2009. 

OPENING: FRIDAY 23RD JULY @7PM FEELY STONE, BOYLE, CO, ROSCOMMON [as part of BOYLE ARTS FESTVAL] The Exhibition will continue until september 10th in Feely Stone,Boyle.

Claremorris Open Exhibition                                                                                                           Dates: 4th –25th September 2010

Entries to the annual Claremorris Open Exhibition are at a record high, beating previous years, with nearly 300 entries being received.  A total of 41 artists from the 300 have been selected to exhibit at this prestigious event by Curator, Lisa Le Feuvre. The exhibition runs from the 4th to the 25th of September and carries prize funds of €8,000 and €3,000 which are reserved for emerging artist(s).

 Applications were sought from artists working in any medium including:painting, print, photography, sculpture, installation, video, light, sound, performance and multimedia. Works will be sited in a range of public spaces and venues throughout Claremorris. These sites will include gallery spaces, disused and operational business premises, public and private venues in the town centre.

 Since its foundation, the Claremorris Open Exhibition has grown in stature and is regarded as an important event on the Irish visual arts calendar. The first Claremorris Open Exhibition was held in the school gym in St. Colman's College in 1978. It was a time in which the idea of introducing such a concept to Claremorris was welcomed, as the spirit of community and co-operation in the town was at an all time high.

The only gallery in Connaught at that time was in Galway and it was unheard of that artists would exhibit their works outside of the main cities. The author Dermot Healy, who was short-listed for the Booker Prize once said that when he went to live in Belfast in the mid-eighties, he was amazed to hear a group of artists discussing what they were sending to a major exhibition in what he considered to be the back end of Ireland; County Mayo - that was the first time he had heard of Claremorris.

Each year a growing number of people attend the exhibition and while it is hard to quantify, there is certainly a spin-off for the town. In 1998 the committee took a change in direction and made a departure from the traditional gallery based exhibition, opting to host a site based multi-media exhibition. For this exhibition artists were given a dossier providing information. This proved to be successful and the committee have continued with the site-based multimedia format, adapting it slightly over the years.

Over the course of the last number of years the exhibition has grown in stature. The numbers of artists submitting work has greatly increased, with a growing number of artists from abroad entering.

This year’s Claremorris Open Exhibition will be launched by journalist, writer and founder of the Humbert Summer School, John Cooney, at a reception in the COE gallery, Claremorris on Say, Sep 4th at 8.30 p.m.