Minister O’Donovan welcomes touring exhibition All Creatures Great and Small to Newcastle West

Since the late 1990s, the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department of Finance, Northern Ireland (DoF) have worked in partnership organising an annual touring art exhibition which showcases artworks from the two public-owned collections in venues across the island under changing themes. The OPW is delighted to announce that the current exhibition, All Creatures Great and Small, after showing earlier in the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Portumna Castle, will open to the public on 7 October at the Red Door Gallery in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick.

Welcoming the arrival of the exhibition to Newcastle West, Minister O’Donovan said:

“The OPW’s collaboration with the Department of Finance of Northern Ireland for over twenty years is a great cross-border initiative that has opened up opportunities for both Departments to collaborate with arts organisations, cultural venues, schools, colleges, and local government arts offices across the island. I am delighted that works from these two State collections are brought to new audiences in different locations around Ireland each year so that the public can enjoy and access them in their locality. I invite you to let yourself be charmed by ‘all creatures great and small’ in the artworks on show here at the Red Door Gallery. With Desmond Castle right beside the gallery attracting record numbers of 16,000 visitors this year to date, I am sure that this added cultural attraction here in the heart of Newcastle West will be enjoyed by many visitors, young and old.”

Joining the Minister at the Gallery, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Daniel Butler said:

“This is a wonderful exhibition and a fantastic example of all island co-operation. I very much welcome the decision to bring the exhibition to Newcastle West to allow the people of Limerick the opportunity to wander around and explore the beautiful and intricate pieces on show. Perhaps it will spark a conversation or a debate about our association and links with animals.”

All Creatures Great and Small is focused on artworks that depict birds, animals, fish and insects and their interaction with humanity and includes 33 artworks from the OPW State Art Collection and the Northern Ireland Civil Service Collection. Each artist brings their own individual approach to the depiction of living creatures and this diversity makes for a thoughtful and interesting exhibition. A free catalogue accompanies the exhibition.

The 31 artists included in the exhibition are: Corrina Askin, Bono et al., Thomas Carr OBE, Gabhann Dunne, Ivan Frew, Rebecca Homfray, Pen Jones, Rachel Joynt, Atsushi Kaga, John Kindness, Gavin Lavelle, Aoife Layton, Sarah Longley, Maura Lynch, James MacIntyre, Cecil Maguire, Kelvin Mann, Bruce C. Marshall, Colin Martin, Joanna Martin, Eamonn McCrory, Linda McWha, Frieda Meaney, Yvette Monahan, Jeffrey Morgan, Janet Mullarney, Tighe O’Donoghue/Ross, Barbara Rae, Sven Sandberg, Felicity Shun, Dara Vallely.

-ENDS

For more information please contact the OPW press office at pressoffice@opw.ie .

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Notes to Editors

The Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department of Finance of Northern Ireland (DoFNI) have collaborated on organising art exhibitions since the late 1990s. These exhibitions involve touring artworks from both public owned collections to venues throughout the island.

In recent years, the exhibitions have opened up into broader partnerships with other cultural organisations that have led to the artworks in both collections being viewed by audiences in a wide variety of locations – arts centres, libraries, colleges, heritage properties and other buildings which are open to the public.

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue available here or in hard copy from artmanagement@opw.ie .

Listing Information

Exhibition title: All Creatures Great and Small

Location: Red Door Gallery, Newcastle West, Co. Limerick

Dates: 7 to 31 October (Wed–Sun)

Website: All Creatures Great and Small