Successful Naas art exhibition comes to close today
Berndatte Ward, Siobhan Boran, Mary Gibosn, Riya Sanu, Winifred Burke, Dolores Burke and Egle Enyed
A UNIQUE collaborative art exhibition, Threads of Memory, made its home at the Luisne Centre in McAuley Place, Naas this May.
The exhibition opened to the public in early May, and was launched by Dr Moling Ryan, Interim Director of the Arts Council of Ireland.
Element15 textile artists, current artists-in-residence at McAuley Place, have been using the Luisne Centre as both a meeting place and working studio. Threads of Memory is a collaborative initiative between element15, McAuley Place and the local community, bringing together professional artists and participants from the community in a shared creative process.
The project centres on the concept of the ‘heirloom’ - an object of meaning, a memory or story that connects us to our personal and varying cultural histories.
A call was extended to a diverse range of Naas residents inviting them to attend Open Studio events, offering an opportunity to meet the artists, observe their processes and express their interest in participating in this project.
Due to overwhelming interest, workshop participation was limited to ten individuals selected by lottery. These participants have since worked closely with element15 artists, exploring their own memories and stories while developing creative skills and techniques such as ice dyeing, notebook making, felting, gel plate printing and hand embroidery to visually represent their own work.
The resulting pieces - alongside new works by element15 artists responding to their own heirlooms - were exhibited throughout the Luisne Centre and outdoors in the Luisne Garden, creating a rich and immersive visitor experience.
The exhibition will come to close on Thursday 28 May at 5pm after a month-long run.
This project has been made possible with the support of Creative Ireland – Creative Communities, McAuley Place, element15 artists and Kildare County Council.
