Midlands art collective to unveil exhibition in Tullamore

New art work by recent midland graduates of the Centre for Creative Arts and Media in Galway is set to open on Friday (February 7) at 6pm in Aras an Chontae in Tullamore.

The exhition entitled Assemblage will be launched by well known Irish artist and former lecturer in Fine Art Patricia Hurl, and will be displayed until February 22.

Six female graduates feature in the exhibition - Linda Kelly from Cloghan, Aisling Morin from Birr, Rachel Somers from Shinrone, Ann McGuinness from Athlone , Rosaleen Heavin from Moate and Lily Broderick from Ballinasloe.

They all graduated with a BA in Fine Art last year and have since formed a collective called 4Art, brought together by their shared interest in the visual arts and their midlands connections.

Lily Broderick produces large figurative works which explore themes of identity, sensuality and relationships.

Rosaleen Heavin uses photography to examine an institution in the process of closing down, believing we all leave traces of ourselves long after we have departed. Her evocative images deal with vacancy of space left and traces of the inhabitants left behind.

Linda Kelly produces a number of high quality craft items in her studio in Cloghan, but painting has been her medium of choice for the past six years.

Aisling Moran’s paintings are abstract and inspired by both the richness of ocean life and stained glass.

Ann McGuinness is currently examining the colours, textures and atmosphere of the wetlands of the midlands, applying oil paint from a vibrant spectrum in expressive strokes of the palette knife.

Rachel Somers through the medium of painting investigates the idea that energy is never lost but changes from one state to another.

Through their time studying and since, the six artists have become familiar with each other’s practices and provide a vital support network to each other both in the making and showing of their work. Through this exhibition they hope to strengthen their collective and individual profiles within the region.