Artistic Ecosystems: The Carrowbeg Encounter
Gerry O’Malley, Máire Maguire, Anna Rose Lowry, Una Kearns, Trish Kelly, Ellen Cafferkey, Sarah Kelly
Opens the 5th of September and runs until the 4th of October
"So Nice Day" by the Carrowbeg Artists unfolds a captivating narrative of ecological exploration and artistic expression through the lens of seven artists with intellectual disabilities. This exhibition merges the tactile beauty of natural materials with the profound personal experiences of its creators, offering an immersive journey into the artists' connections with the environment. It emphasizes the transformative power of art to communicate complex themes of ecology, sensory awareness, and the innate human relationship with nature.
Aligning with strategic priorities of inclusivity and environmental consciousness, Artistic Ecosystems transcends traditional art boundaries to include diverse voices in the conversation about nature and art. It not only highlights the importance of sustainability and ecological awareness but also showcases the unique contributions of artists with intellectual disabilities to these critical discussions, fostering a richer, more inclusive cultural dialogue.
In acknowledging the exceptional work of artists with disabilities, the Red Couch space is committed to increasing engagement and accessibility within the artistic community. Through a curated series of workshops, we aim to highlight the unique perspectives and contributions of disabled artists, fostering an inclusive environment that encourages deeper interaction and appreciation within our exhibition space. This initiative not only supports the visibility of artists with diverse abilities but also enriches the cultural dialogue among all participants.
About the Carrowbeg Artist Collective
A group of 7 Intellectually Challenged Artists, The Carrowbeg Artists are a group of seven artists living with intellectual disability who have been creating work together for over a decade. So Nice Day is an exhibition of work resulting from an Ecological Art project funded in 2023 through the Upstart programme, an initiative of the Mayo County Council.
So Nice Day is a whimsical installation of natural objects comprised of: Assembled sculptural pieces of bog oak, driftwood and fallen birch painted with natural pigment; Monoprints of native leaves on paper coloured with blackberry; delicate photographs on Awagawshi paper; A video work, documenting the Artists escapades within the landscape and studio that contextualises the accompanying artworks within the larger project and warms the heart.
After the success of this project we believe that the time has come for the Carrowbeg Artist Group to take their inaugural journey away from the Custom House and be introduced to a wider audience with So Nice Day. Celebrating inclusivity and diversity within nature, whilst creating relevant, meaningful Art, is good for social cohesion and collective pride, both in each other and of our environment.
The original project took place in the Autumn of 2023 through the merging of Eco-Art and Forest Bathing concepts. The work was highly sensory and process-orientated. Beginning with a nature immersion activity designed to open the senses and increase awareness of our natural surroundings the Artists were then introduced to the possibility of new materials found outside. This practice fostered their sense of connection to nature and place within the local landscape. We explored notions of proprioception, ecology, transience and sensory awareness together as Artists, caregivers and facilitators. Each week was built on from the last, informed by what we learned from each other and individualised around each artist’ abilities.
Artists in the Collective:
Gerry O’Malley
Gerry has developed a complex visual language. His work is deliberate and precise. His sense of fulfilment is evident in the finished pieces.
Máire Maguire
Máire‘s a versatile artist, with a distinctive drawing style. Máire limits her palette and has a very considered sense of colour and recurring motifs.
Anna Rose Lowry
Anna Rose’s work is a celebration of mark making and colour, she often returns to her pieces building up texture and form.
Una Kearns
Una is a representational artist, working with landscape and the figure. She is both painterly and precise in her work.
Trish Kelly
Trish’s work is very energetic and spontaneous. She allows the materials to dictate the final piece. Abstraction is key throughout. Trish has an innate feel for colour and composition.
Ellen Cafferkey
Ellen has an innate sensibility with many materials, her works are a celebration of colour and movement.
Sarah Kelly
Sarah is a young artist with a vigorous, energetic style. She applies layers of paint, reworking each piece over many weeks.
About
Custom House Studios at Westport Quay with support from Mayo County Council’s Upstart Project and Western Care funding, host weekly workshops with artists from Carrowbeg Enterprises. Each year the group completes a specific visual arts project marking international disability day, December 3rd. One of the successful aspects of the workshops has been an emphasis on the artist’s self-motivation and expression. Artists Breda Burns and Caroline Masterson from the Custom House Studios provide support, assistance and guidance to the artists. There is an emphasis on engaging in processes which have the capacity to develop and transform the artist’s imagery into different media. This engagement with complex processes, enriches the individual’s experience of working on their art.
Website for Collective:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW34b_orraCJb9KP_DiAwXg
Project Leader: Christine Prescott - Biography
Christine was raised in rural Australia, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Art from the University of Southern Queensland 2000, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art from the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne. Her sculptural artwork has toured Australia and has been exhibited in Singapore, Indonesia, and Ireland. She has been residing in County Mayo since 2007, although the arid landscape of her past still echoes through her practice. In recent years Christine has recently developed community engagement projects through Nature Connection workshops. The outcomes of an Upstart project with the Carrowbeg Artist Group “So Nice Day” was exhibited in the Custom House Studios and Gallery in Westport, Co. Mayo in January 2024.
Statement
Christine Prescott is a Visual Artist and Forest Bathing Guide. She is inspired by a sensorial experience of the natural world. Through the use of fragile organic materials and delicate repetitive processes, she creates artworks that facilitate an intimate connection with our shared ecology. Notions of time, healing, decay, and the spirit of place pervade her work.
Websites: http://www.christineprescottstudio.com/ and
https://www.instagram.com/thingsofthedirt/
Facilitators:
Caroline Masterson - Biography
Originally from County Cavan. Caroline now lives and works in Westport Co Mayo. She has an honours degree from Sligo I.T., and a Higher Diploma Ed from Crawford College of Art, Cork. She has worked extensively as a gallery technician, curating and installing exhibitions and has been based at the Custom House Studios and Gallery since 2009. As a practicing Artist Caroline has exhibited widely in many group shows including the RHA Annual and EVA + 2000.
Statement
Caroline works in many diverse mediums both sculptural and two-dimensional. Her work burrows into what it means to be human, borrowing from beliefs, customs, folklore and occurrences of phenomena that call into question our realities.
Breda Burns - Biography/Statement
Breda Burns is an Audio/visual artist. She continues to develop her own practice out of her studio in Westport and has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally in Solo and group exhibitions. She has taken part in numerous exchanges and residencies and has received a
number of commissions. In 2020 Breda was awarded a Visual Arts Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland.
Alongside her personal practice she is a socially engaged artist working with a variety of groups and organisations. She is one of the five artists who initiated the Luisne Arts Project, an arts and disability programme based in Mayo. She has worked with the Western Care Association on a number of previous UPSTART Projects in Castlebar, Ballinrobe and Westport. For the past three years Breda has worked as an artist facilitator with the Carrowbeg Artists Group. In 2018 she documented the process of producing Say Something CD with DJ/Sound Artist Christopher Coe and the Upstarters (Carrowbeg Artists Group) and she produced an accompanying video which was exhibited at the conclusion of the project.
Breda is registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland. She is a Creative Associate, an initiative of the Arts Council of Ireland, and is delivering programmes to five schools in Mayo. Breda is Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Custom House Studios and Gallery of which she was a founding member. Other memberships include The Wright Artists Co-operative, Visual Artists Ireland, WestInk Society of Artist Printmakers and INTERFACE where science meets art.
Websites:https://www.bredaburns.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/breda_burns_artist/?hl=en
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