Published: Friday, 18th June, 2010 9:00am

Belmont Mill set to host exhibitions

The picturesque Belmont Mill in west Offaly will play host to three exciting exhibitions over the summer period beginning next month.

Showcasing the work of artists who were awarded bursaries at the studios on-site, the season of exhibitions kicks off on July 1 at 7pm with the opening night featuring mixed media, prints sculpture and paintings by Fiona Kelly.

Back in 2006, she was awarded a bursary at Belmont Mill, after which she took up a residency in Rekjavik, Iceland and then returned to do complete Masters in Printmaking at Crawford Art College in Cork. Fiona creates relief prints which she cuts and prints by hand, in Belmont the artist concentrated primarily on wood cuts and printmaking. The exhibition runs until July 26 next and all are welcome to attend the launch or view the work after the launch.

On July 27, it's the turn of Eoin O'Conaill, a documentary photographer to exhibit his work in the Offaly venue, home to number of studios for art and craftspeople. He came to Belmont in 2008 and photographed the effects of the Celtic Tiger on rural life. Eoin was awarded Best Artist from the Photographic Gallery Dublin in 2009. His exhibition will run in Belmont Mill until August 23.

After a recent solo exhibition in Belfast, Sharon Morgan will showcase her work in Belmont Mill focusing on paint, pen and ink from August 24 to September 23.

She said of her experience at the restored mill and studios: "The mill and the surrounding area offered a completely different backdrop for my work. Growing up in the city, my work always had an urban feel to it. The residency in Belmont Mill offered complete peace and tranquillity to work in. Whilst exploring the Midlands, I found myself drawn to hidden trails within the forest which lead me to develop a theme for my work 'Into the Forest'."

"I was interested in the aesthetic values of the thin trails with trees curling over, the silhouette of branches on a moonlit sky, the linear qualities found in the very thick of the forest and most importantly that sense of being enchanted and lost in the forest." She stayed in Belmont during 2009.

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