A look at the bright side as Traveller art expo paints the positive
There are also dozens of sculptures, ceramics, photographs, installations and multi-media. The works are as varied as the artists who created them and the only thing they have in common is that they were all made by members of the Travelling community.
From all over the country Travellers from seven to 70 have, for the past few months, been painting, drawing, photographing and lending artistic substance to their daily lives.
It is all part of the second All Ireland Traveller Art Competition which begins tomorrow at the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre in Foster Place, Dublin. An exhibition of all the entries will be opened by the Junior Education Minister, Síle de Valera.
Travellers from all over Ireland will present their art pieces to a panel of judges which includes celebrated artists Robert Ballagh and Bernadette Burns as well as photographer Derek Spiers. Judging takes place on May 24 and the award ceremony on May 26.
One of the organisers of the competition is Paul McCann, an artist who teaches at Navan Travellers Training Centre. He recognises the importance such a display has in terms of self-esteem.
“It is good to show the positive and not just the negative side,” he said, as he worked hanging paintings in the Bank of Ireland. “This is the second year of the competition and the standard is very high. There is a huge representation of the horse this year but we also have a lot more modern pieces. The oldest entrant is a student of my own, Mary Hand from Navan, aged 70.”
Equally proud of her charges is Maureen Finn, a ceramics teacher at Drumcondra School for the Visually Impaired in Dublin.
There are five Travellers among the 26 pupils in the school and three of them are taking part in the competition. “We have two sisters, Bridget and Mary-Lisa Collins and Louise Moughan. They are each doing individual ceramic pieces and are very excited about it.”
NATC, which has direct daily contact with over 1,500 Traveller families, is a partnership organisation in which Traveller and settled communities work together in responding to the needs of Travellers.
NATC sees the art competition as an innovative project which will aid in bridging the divide that exists between the settled and Travelling communities on a national level.
The final exhibition will be on display in two locations: the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre in Foster Place hosts paintings and photography, while The Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin, houses sculpture, installations and multi-media.
