Portrait of Prof Luke Clancy, by
Wexford painter Paul Funge. |
Visual
Arts Collection
Like other municipal art collections, Wexford's
encompasses both Irish and international artists, and, whenever possible,
endeavours to include high quality Irish
painting and Irish sculpture
from local artists. Acquisition of works is largely funded by the County
Council, although it also includes joint purchases with the Arts
Council, as well as donations and gifts from members of the public.
At present the Collection is on permanent display at the County Hall in
Wexford town. Plans are afoot to exhibit it to a wider audience, by staging
lecture tours around the County Hall and by taking works to other venues
such as libraries and community facilities throughout Wexford.
Wexford
Artists Represented
The collection contains over 80 artworks
including watercolours, oil
painting, etchings, lens-based
artworks, and sculpture. Watercolours -
the largest group of pictures - were acquired during the initial build
up period. Portraying scenic views of Wexford City and County, many are
by local painters, like John Kehoe, David Daly, Eithne Ryan, Billy Colfer
and Ruth Walsh. Wexford painters are also well represented in the oil
painting category. They include: Kathleen Delaney (mixed media) and Helen
Gaynor (Romantic landscapes). In addition, the collection includes photographs
by Wexford lens-based artist Padraig Grant taken in Ethiopia and Sudan.
Irish
Artists Represented
The Wexford art collection also includes
works by painters from other counties in Ireland, as well as overseas.
They include: Andy Warhol-type compositions by the Limerick artist, Charles
Harper; realistic studies by the figurative and landscape painter Martin
Gale, abstract works by Dublin painter, Eamon Coleman, a sombre print
by Sophie Agahajanian, an etching by Scottish artist, Struan Hamilton,
a colourful semi-abstract painting by Belfast artist, Brian Ferran, and
an oil by John Shinnors,
one of Ireland's top contemporary artists. Among the sculptures collected
are a bronze by Belfast-born sculptor, Sandra Bell and a free-standing
female figure by Dublin sculptor Rowan Gillespie. Other notable Irish
painters and sculptors represented include: Brian
Ballard, Colin Davidson,
Gillian Deeny, Bridget Flannery, Leo Higgins, Paddy Lennon, and Patrick
Leonard.
|
