James Hanley previews an exhibition at Ranelagh Arts Centre where the theme of intimacy reflects the sense of community at work there
Nestled just beyond the main drag of Ranelagh sits an Arts Centre that bears the name of one of the most sought after Victorian suburbs in south Dublin. Located between the Luas station and a busy supermarket means the Ranelagh Arts Centre gets footfall and passing trade. Its open door and large front window are inviting and welcoming. Its status is unique amongst the chic retail outlets, busy restaurants and popular watering holes in that it is a registered charity, partially funded by Dublin City Council and washing its face for the rest with monies earned from the exhibitions which, it is keen to stress, do not charge the fifty per cent rate which is the norm in most commercial galleries in the city.
To the Irish in America, the irony of using funds from a Fenian club to buy a set of Malton views depicting Georgian Dublin was not apparent, writes Christian Dupont
Linda Brunker’s female avatars affirm nature and spirit. Mark Ewart talks to the Irish sculptor as she departs California for France
The magic realism of Sweeney’s transformation from man to bird continues Gabhann Dunne’s association with the natural world, writes Susan Campbell