John Kelly’s enrollment in school in the 1950’s marked the beginning of a fully realized career in the arts; Gerry Walker remembers the noted artist and printmaker
This exhibition is not a retrospective in the generally accepted sense of the term. It is rather, a celebration of aspects of the work of an artist who was renowned for his many achievements in so many areas of artistic endeavour. John Kelly was a man of many parts. A playwright who had his work performed at Dublin’s Gate theatre, he also designed for the stage, while pursuing a highly successful career as a painter, printmaker, and teacher. He was a founding member of the Independent Artists group, the young lions of Irish Art in their day, one of the prime movers behind the initiation of the Project Arts Centre in the late 1960s, Director of the Graphic Studio, founder member of the Black Church Print studio, a highly respected lecturer at NCAD, a member of the Royal Hibernian Academy, and in his latter years a luminary in Aosdana.
Proving that good design is timeless, Virginia Teehan presents a selection of rare artefacts travelling to Boston College, celebrating Irish design from the Arts and Crafts Movement.
In response to the 1916 centenary, EVA International takes as its theme, the post-colonial legacy on the psyche and imagination of colonized communities, writes Michaele Cutaya.
A recent visit to Sligo County Library prompts Peter Harbison to ask, could our national institutions do more to give local communities access to their treasures?