TOP TALENT FROM ABROAD
THESE PAINTINGS SHOW THE WONDERFUL ABILITY OF SOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS ON THEIR WAY TO WEXFORD FOR ART IN THE OPEN WHICH WILL SEE MASSIVE MURALS PAINTED ON GABLE WALLS
Artists from all over the world are due to arrive in Wexford for the 10th annual Art in the Open festival which will see huge murals painted on gable walls around the town in a special anniversary collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland.
More than 150 artists from 14 countries including Australia, USA, Singapore, Finland and Russia have already registered to take part in the Plein Air event with a number of international tutors set to give master classes and workshops in pastels, oils, acrylics and sketching at paint-out locations around the county.
Art on a massive scale is about to hit Wexford town with the painting of three massive murals on gable walls in Skeffington Street and Selskar and at Wexford Bridge in time for the opening day of the week-long festival on July 30.
In a new outreach initiative, the National Gallery is providing one of its artists, John O’Reilly to paint the gable wall at Skeffington Street. His work will be inspired by a new film Vermeer: Beyond Time about the paintings of the famous 17th century Dutch painter which the gallery is screening in Wexford during the festival as well delivering a lecture on Ireland’s outdoor painting tradition.
Local artist Jeff Dobson will paint large murals at Selskar and along the wall facing Wexford Bridge, providing a dramatic element to the festival which was established a decade ago and has grown into Europe’s largest art in the open gathering.
Among the paint-out locations this year will be Woodville House in New Ross; Kilmore Quay village; Enniscorthy town; Rosslare Strand; Hook Lighthouse and Slade Harbour where classes will be given by visiting artist/tutors Roger Dellar (UK), Leon Holmes (Australia), Karen Margulis (US), Jeff Monaghan (Ireland), Antti Rautiola (Finland), Lori Putnam (US) and Antonin Passemard (France).
The premiere of the Vermeer film will be shown at Wexford Arts Centre on Tuesday, August 1 at 7.30 pm. Admission is free and can be booked on the Arts Centre website. The National Gallery will present a free lecture on the history of Plein Air Painting in Ireland at the Arts Centre on Thursday, August 3 at 7.30 pm.
In another anniversary initiative, the winning art of County Wexford primary school children on a competition theme of ‘My Wexford’ will be displayed on the Wexford quay flags along with the festival and Wexford County Council logos and also in an exhibition on the August bank holiday weekend as part of the overall festival exhibition in Greenacres Gallery which will open at 3pm on Sunday.
Children’s art camps will be run at Wexford Bridge over the bank holiday weekend along with street art and murals.
The popular annual Charity Quick Draw will take place in Selskar on Saturday August 5 from 2pm to 4pm with all money raised going towards the purchase of an MRI scanner for Wexford General Hospital. Last year’s event raised €1,800 for MarineWatch.
The organisers have introduced a €50 subscription offer which will entitle patrons to an invitation to a private viewing of the festival exhibition, with wine and canapés, an opportunity to meet the artists and a refund of the €50 if they they decide to buy a painting. For more information on this offer, email artintheopen10@gmail.com or phone 086 8539998.
Among the social attractions for artists and volunteers will be a barbecue and music session midweek and a festival gala dinner in the Riverbank House Hotel. Art in the open is a non-profit festival which brings a welcome boost to the Wexford economy and sponsorship is always welcome.