Selected works from Kildare’s Municipal Art Collection come to the McKenna Gallery at Riverbank Arts Centre in an exhibition curated by Paula Barrett. The exhibition will be officially opened by Cathaoirleach of the County of Kildare, Cllr. Fintan Brett on Friday 21st April at 6:30pm.
The public are encouraged to come along and explore artwork from Kildare County Council’s Municipal Art Collection (MAC) which was established in the 1970’s. The collection, which is normally displayed in public buildings across the county, has been revisited and a selection of work has been specially curated for this exhibition.
A municipal collection is a body of work that is in the process of becoming, and therefore is not easily defined. The works chosen from the collection echo this feeling of flux, of taking form, the momentary becoming monumental through time and context and medium. Included among the selection are artworks by Niamh O’Malley, Isabel Nolan, Gillian Lawler, Shane Hynan, Emma Stroude, John Minihan, Seán Cotter, Rebecca Peart, John Behan, James Nolan, Derek A. Fitzsimons and Dominic Turner.
Curator Paula Barrett, who recently joined the Kildare County Council Arts Service team, reflects on her process of curating this small selection and the responsibilities of Kildare County Council as a purchaser and a caretaker of the extensive collection, “this has been a great opportunity to get to know the works in the Kildare MAC, to take time to reflect on the purchasing policy and what it means to care for and interpret a municipal collection.”
Lucina Russell, Arts Officer, Kildare County Council states, “it is fortuitous, indeed, that Paula Barrett, a practicing visual artist, joined the arts team as Assistant Arts Officer last year and has embraced the opportunity to curate this exhibition from Kildare’s Municipal Art Collection. She brings a wealth of experience and casts a fresh pair of eyes on this vast collection, to prepare ‘Finding Form’. The collection belongs to the people of Kildare and I hope they actively engage with the exhibition and accompanying panel discussion and workshop.”
Source: Kildare County Council
