Art scene ‘was divided by the departure of gallery boss’

THE swift exit of a respected figure from a top gallery was met with surprise and dismay in the Irish art world, it was claimed yesterday.

News of Marian Lovett’s redundancy came as an ‘earth-shattering bombshell’ to the former Temple Bar Gallery boss, an employment tribunal heard.

Now former chief executive Miss Lovett is taking action against the gallery for an unfair selection for redundancy following a massive funding cut. Her claims are denied by her former employers.

The tribunal heard that the gallery, which includes studio spaces for up to 30 artists, saw its Arts Council funding drop from €370,000 in 2009 to €240,000 the following year.

Yesterday, artist and friend John Buckley, of Dún Laoghaire IADT, gave evidence on how her reputation was ‘irrevocably damaged’ since losing the job. Describing Miss Lovett as ‘one of leading arts figures in Dublin’ while she was at the helm in the gallery, he said that her absence was a subject of constant rumours and whispers in the close-knit art community.

‘I think this [ job loss] has damaged her ability to be able to work here,’ he said. ‘It divided the arts community, of which many letters of support were written and cards marked.’

Mr Buckley added her chances of working in Ireland again are ‘severely limited’. ‘I would fear for her mobility within the sector,’ he added.

Miss Lovett had submitted figures to the Temple Bar Gallery board on the available budget for staffing, which proposed keeping all staff, albeit on reduced wages and salaries, but this was not considered, she claims.

She applied for the new post of studio development manager but was accused of being ‘combative’ when called to interview with the board in June and then failed to get the job. Objecting to former chair of the board Kenneth Deale’s criticism of his client, Impact representative Michael Landers said she simply sought answers to what the role involved and the salary on offer.

Arguing that Miss Lovett was essentially being interviewed for her own job under a different title, he said she was entitled to know that the salary for the post would be €36,000 – €8,000 less than her own.

However, Mr Deale said: ‘It wasn’t the same job she was going for.’