Exhibition of late Kildare teacher's art to be held later this month

AN EXHIBITION and sale of artwork by the late Gale Pullen-Foster, a former primary school teacher at Kildare Steiner School, is taking place in Kilcullen Town Hall on 20 and 21 November. 'Echoes of Africa' is the second exhibition of her work this year, following a successful event at the Dunlavin Arts Centre in June — the high interest and demand there resulted in this exhibition being organised.

Gale’s diverse collection includes woodcut prints, vibrant acrylics, landscapes, figurative pieces, watercolours of flowers, and pastel and charcoal sketches. Many of her works feature musicians she drew during music sessions in Kildare and Wicklow pubs after moving there in 2002. 

All proceeds from the sales will benefit Kildare Steiner School, which held great significance for her.

Born in 1951 she grew up in rural South Africa. As an adult, she moved to Cape Town and worked as a Waldorf teacher for 25 years. In 2002, she moved to Ireland for a sabbatical; however, she decided to become a teacher at Kildare Steiner School instead. 

She taught there for 15 years. Even after retirement in 2017 she continued to mentor, teach, guide, and inspire the Kildare school.

She passed away earlier this year on 13 May after a short illness. In the summer, whilst sorting out her personal effects, a group of close friends discovered several portfolios of previously unknown work, some of it completed in South Africa, before Gale moved to Ireland.

An exquisite centrepiece of the exhibition is 'Snowdrops', the last of Gale’s stunning flower watercolours. 

This second retrospective is a limited look at what was an extensive life in the visual arts. 

Gale was self-taught and explored all sorts of media and subjects over the years. 

In this exhibition, you will see her style develop from bright African colours and bold figurative works to the more subdued tones as she imbibed the Irish culture.