Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre: A creative space of expression in the heart of Skibbereen

Irish Examiner

4 days ago

Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre is easily the most distinctive building in Skibbereen, looming as it does over shops, pubs, and dwelling houses at the very centre of the town.
This week will mark the 10th anniversary of its official opening by President Michael D Higgins on June 11, 2015.
The campaign to establish a dedicated gallery and performance space in West Cork had begun decades before, after an annual exhibition organised by local artists organised an annual exhibition at the Town Hall as part of the Skibbereen Welcome Home Festival.
'That was well before my time,' says Uillinn director Ann Davoren.
'But the Welcome Home Festival was very successful, and the exhibitions were so popular that the organisers began looking for a more permanent space to exhibit in. Eventually, they secured the ground floor of the Sutherland Building on North St, which at that point was a VEC [vocational education committee] school, and they established that space as the West Cork Arts Centre. The first Members Exhibition was held there in 1985, and it's been held annually ever since.'
Davoren was appointed to her role in 2001: 'I'm from Limerick originally, but I'd been living in Dublin. I studied at the National College of Art and Design, and went on to work at the Irish Museum of Modern Art for 11 years. But I visited West Cork regularly, especially during the summer months, and I knew the West Cork Arts Centre. So I wasn't stepping into the unknown.'
At that time, the arts centre hosted at least 12 exhibitions a year: 'Some were by local artists, and more by artists living nationally. 'The Living Landscape exhibition was probably the most prominent; it drew artists from all over Ireland to show there once a year.'
The Living Landscapeexhibitions were the brainchild of artist and educator Cóilín Murray, who'd helped found the centre, and was among those pushing for a new purpose-built premises.
Ann Davoren Director Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre: 'By the time I joined,' says Davoren, 'the arts centre had secured the Wolfe Bakery site in the centre of Skibbereen. That was purchased with a grant from the Arts Council, and there had been attempts to get further funding, but things had stalled."
'By the time I joined,' says Davoren, 'the arts centre had secured the Wolfe Bakery site in the centre of Skibbereen. That was purchased with a grant from the Arts Council, and there had been attempts to get further funding, but things had stalled.
'So that was one of my tasks, to secure funding to develop the site. After a lot of campaigning, we got a grant from Cork County Council of €1.4m, which then enabled us to apply to the Department of Arts for their Access 2 scheme. They eventually awarded us €1.5m. But we had then to find the rest of the money, because initially the proposal was estimated to cost around €4m.'
Philanthropists William and Judith Bollinger, who have a Schull residence, donated €100,000; and the Jim O'Driscoll art auction, which commemorated the well-known barrister and art collector, raised nearly €140,000 more.
'So many people contributed,' says Davoren. 'They'd arrive at the front desk in the Sutherland Centre with a fiver or a tenner, and every penny was absolutely appreciated.'
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland organised an international competition for the design, which attracted more than 200 entries and was won by the Dublin-based company Donaghy and Dimond in 2009.
Members and Friends Exhibitions at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre.
'We got full planning for the scheme,' says Davoren, 'but then the crash happened. One by one, the contractors on our shortlist were going into liquidation. For a while there, we thought that was going to be the end of it.'
Fortunately, Cork County Council rowed in to keep the project afloat, Davoren adds: 'The county architect was involved, along with other county council architects and engineers. They supported us very much to go forward, though we had to make compromises with the design. There was supposed to be a basement, for instance, but Skibbereen is built on a marsh, so rather than take on the extra risk and time and expense, we got rid of it.'
One aspect of the original design that survived is the Corten steel cladding that lends the building its distinctive 'rusted' appearance. Some have criticised the effect, but Davoren insists it 'echoes agricultural buildings, barns, and so on, but also shipping containers, so there's that reference to the maritime tradition in West Cork.
Some people feel Uillinn is not in keeping with the rest of the town, but others believe having such an unexpected contemporary building in the centre of Skibbereen says something about forward thinking, about it being a town for the future. The reaction has been mixed, I know, but I think what goes on in the building is the important thing'.
Uillinn is certainly buzzing. Its facilities — two large gallery spaces and a multi-purpose space for dance, performance, film screenings, workshops, and talks — are in constant use, and the three studio spaces are always occupied by artists on residencies.
Pictured at the launch of the landmark exhibition to celebrate 40 years since The West Cork Arts Centre was founded was Donagh Carey, Aislinn Roach, Tomasz Madajczak, Brian Lawless & Ann Davoren. The Members and Friends Exhibition 2025 runs until July 3Picture: Emma Jervis Photography.
Davoren is particularly proud of Uillinn's association with the disabled-led Croí Glan integrated dance company, who workshop productions at the centre every year: 'Their director, Tara Brandel, was supported by the Arts Council to be our first year-round dance artist and resident, and we've maintained that relationship.'
Asked to pick a highlight of Uillinn's visual arts programme over the past 10 years, Davoren says: 'I'd have to mention the ' Coming Home: Art and the Great Hunger' exhibition in 2018. We had thousands and thousands of visitors, and that, of course, had a knock-on benefit for businesses in the town. It really felt like we were giving something back to everyone who'd believed in us and had worked so hard to bring the centre into being.'
Another highlight is the annual 'Members and Friends Exhibition', which this year features the work of 138 artists and runs until July 3: 'It goes right back to the founding of West Cork Arts Centre, Anybody who is a member or friend of the Arts Centre can exhibit. There's no selection process; it's very democratic, and very celebratory as well.'
Going forward, Davoren's hope for Uillinn is that 'we continue to have relevance for artists, and for the community.
Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre's
Members and Friends Exhibition 2025 runs until July 3. westcorkartscentre.com