Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SPRING 2013

Midland Arts and Culture Magazine | SPRING 2013
LuanGallery
has welcomed over 2,500 visitors since opening
Since November
Athlone’s multimillion
euro gallery
has welcomed more
than 2,500 visitors
and has engaged
with over 25
schools and
community groups
via its education
programme.
Speaking to Midlands Arts and
Culture Magazine, Aedín McGinn,
Visual Art Coordinator with Athlone
Arts and Heritage said:
“The schools programme has had
an overwhelmingly positive reaction.
Pupils from schools from across
the region come to the space, enjoy
a guided tour and then retreat to
the workshop where they are invited
to create their own art works in
response to the works exhibited.
It is so exciting to be part of this
learning and we will work to build
on this programme of workshops,
tours and talks for young and
old alike.”
The Luan Gallery is the first
purpose-built municipal visual art
gallery located in the midlands and
marks a significant development
for the arts in Ireland.
The gallery, which was opened by
Minister for Arts, Heritage and the
Gaeltacht on November 29, was
designed by Keith Williams Architects
who also designed the Wexford Opera
House and the Civic Offices in Athlone.
The opening, saw almost 400
people including locals, councillors,
business people and artists from
the region come to celebrate not
only the building but also the
inaugural exhibition Borrowed
Memories.
The Borrowed Memories theme
referenced the memories and
associations of the building, and
resulted in a selection of work that
balanced Luan Gallery’s necessity
to have regard for local and regional
artists, as well as setting out its
stall within a national and
international context.
IMMA’s (Irish Museum of Modern
Art) director Sarah Glennie said:
“Borrow Memories has been long
in the planning and one of our most
successful partnerships to date.”
To accompany the IMMA exhibition,
a site specific artistic intervention,
guided by the theme of Red Carpet
was created by local artist Lorna
Kincaid – the founder and project
director of the Athlone based
Making Space Collective.
“ Art can be provocative and
This work, a thread based installation
was a symbolic nod to the Athlone
Woollen Mill once located across the
river (see pg 19).
A total of €3.4 million was invested
in the development of the gallery,
with funding partners – Border
Midland and Western Regional
Assembly, the Department of Arts,
Heritage and the Gaeltacht and
Athlone Town Council.
In September 2011 Athlone Town
Council redeveloped a building in
Abbey Road (formerly the Fire
Station), for use as artists’ studios
facilities. This ensured that the
foundation stones of engagement
with the visual arts community
were already in place prior to the
Luan Gallery project being completed.
Abbey Road developed an active
programme of community events,
workshops, as well as a dynamic
range of short courses which are
now complimented by the educational
activities in the gallery.
M
controversial” by Briege Madden
When a Fine Gael councillor called
for the removal of a contemporary art
installation from the new Luan Gallery
in Athlone, Co Westmeath it sparked
a debate regarding the role of the
arts and evoked polar emotions.
In January Cllr Mark Cooney, whose
father Paddy Cooney was Minister for
Justice ‘during the Troubles’ in the
1970s, claimed the installation was
“offensive” and should be removed.
Created by Longford-born artist Shane
Cullen and titled Fragments sur les
Institutions Républicaines IV, the
artwork is based on a collection
of Republican prisoners’ messages
smuggled out of the H-Block prison
in 1981.
Cllr Cooney tabled the motion at the
monthly meeting of Athlone Town
Council. He asked: “This council in
congratulating Athlone Art Heritage
Ltd’s successful opening of the Luan
Gallery and noting that art can be
provocative and controversial, requests
that the exhibit entitled Fragments
sur les Institutions Républicaines IV
be removed as it is offensive to so
many people.”
Cllr Cooney acknowledged the fact
that art is subjective but in this
instance, he said that he objected
to and still objects to the content of
the art. He felt that all the families of
those killed or maimed at that time in
history would find this offensive and
asked that it be removed.
The Town Council voted to refer
Cllr Cooney’s demand to the board
of Athlone Art and Heritage and the
board’s decision was not to remove
the artwork.
“While the board of Athlone Art and
Heritage is aware of the range of views
recently expressed and is satisfied
that the current programme, entitled
‘Borrowed Memories’ and including
the piece ‘Fragmens sur le Institutions
Republicaines IV’ (by Shane Cullen) is
within the strategy adopted for the
Luan Gallery.”
What is for sure is that this debate
sparked local public interest and
discussion in the arts and from many
who may not normally visit a gallery or
encounter art such as this– which
some might even argue is the
purpose of art at its finest.
Pictured are Shane Cullen, Minister Jimmy
Deenihan and Daphne Wright.
Photo: McInnes.
Hughie O’Donoghue Blue Crucifixion,
1993–2003. Oil on linen canvas in 3
panels 330.2 X 823cm. Collection, Irish
Museum of Modern Art. Gift,
The American Ireland Fund, 2010
18