North Dublin art exhibition hopes to give a new platform to local artists
The Summer Art Salon will run from 11am to 3pm on both Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, featuring between 15 and 20 artists from across Fingal, including Rush, Malahide, Balbriggan, and Ballyboughal.
'Some of the artists I met told me they had to go all the way into Merrion Square to exhibit their work,' said Eoghan Dockrell, a local Fine Gael councillor co-ordinating the event.
'One woman in Ballyboughal said her neighbours didn't even know she was an artist, because you'd be driving by her house and wouldn't see a studio – and not everyone's on social media.'
The idea for the event came about during the recent local elections, when councillor Dockrell was canvassing door-to-door and speaking to artists in rural parts of the county.
After being elected, he became chair of Fingal's Community, Culture and Sports Strategic Policy Committee, which oversees the arts.
'A group of artists from Lusk and Ballyboughal that are part of the Fingal Artist Collective approached me and said it would be great if there were more opportunities for artists in north county Dublin to exhibit their artwork,' he said.
'I then approached Séamus Ennis Arts Centre with the proposal to hold this Summer Arts Salon and they were very encouraging. Likewise, Fingal County Council has been supportive.
'It's hoped this inaugural year will be a success, people will come out to support these local artists and then this event will become a permanent fixture in the arts community's calendar in future years.
'I put out a call and received a huge amount of interest from artists in north county Dublin. Many of these artists have displayed their artwork in galleries and at exhibitions all over Ireland and further afield.
'They're delighted they can partake in an art exhibition closer to home and for an audience of people from north county Dublin.
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'The weather is meant to be great this weekend so it would be brilliant if as many people as possible dropped by the Séamus Ennis Arts Centre and supported these local artists.
'I'm hopeful this Summer Arts Salon will become an annual event if we can get good numbers in attendance this weekend.
'The key is that they're from Fingal and predominantly north county Dublin, and they're being given the chance to exhibit their work in the place they're from,' he added.
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