3 June 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre is a hub of arts activity right in the heart of Skibbereen. Established in 1985, and after 30 years in their former North Street home, they moved to a new purpose-built building which is now a landmark.
West Cork Arts Centre’s Members and Friends Exhibition 2020
The Members Exhibition has been running at West Cork Arts Centre for 35 years, displaying the work of its artist membership, and has taken various formats in that time, from ‘Celebration’ shows located in venues from Sherkin Island to Castletownbere to form an art-trail throughout west Cork; to shows comprising recent small-format work; to shows exploring themes such as the west Cork landscape and people.
The two galleries at Uillinn have accommodated the largest and most diverse exhibitions over the last 5 years, where artist members and friends were invited to submit up to three artworks of any scale and subject matter. As much of the work as possible was included and all artists who submitted work were represented.
This year, not to be daunted by the fact that we cannot open to the public until 20 July at the earliest due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are delighted to be able to bring this exhibition to the public in a new format. We have created an online space to showcase the work of artists from across West Cork and beyond, at all stages of their careers. Submission was again open to the many artists who subscribe to our Membership and Friendship schemes and we are very pleased to be able to support our local artists by offering this platform to display and sell their work, and to tell us a little about their background and what inspires and motivates them.
Including over 130 individual artworks by professional and amateur artists, this exhibition has something for every taste and budget. Sculptors, painters, printmakers, ceramicists, photographers, fine artists and craftspeople bring you examples of their best work in this celebration of artistic skill and creativity. Viewers can click on each image to see the work in more detail and to find out a little more about the artist. Viewers also have a fantastic opportunity to purchase an original artwork as a memento of the region, as a unique and inspiring gift for that special birthday or anniversary, or as the start or addition to their own art collection which will bring years of pleasure, and in so doing supporting local artists and their work.
The exhibition was launched online on Saturday 30 May at 12 noon and is available at https://www.uillinngalleries.com/
