Inside Out: Snappers in the frame, and budding gardeners get a chance to shine 

Crawford Gallery teams up with Pat McDonnell Paints to curate vibrant exhibition, and Woodie's unveils gardening contest

Curator Dawn Williams and store manager, Pat McDonnell Paints, Donal O'Halloran.

They use the camera to transform the everyday into the extraordinary and 13 dynamic artists will be in the frame in Cork from today, January 29.

All known for exploring the lives played out in front of them through their medium, the photographers featuring in the exhibition Saturation in Crawford Gallery are Ayesha Ahmad, Vittoria Colonna, Conor Clinch, Hazel Coonagh Megan Doherty, Michael Hanna, Cáit Fahey, Audrey Gillespie, Dragana Jurišić, Ruth Medjber, Eva O’Leary, Pádraig Spillane and Niamh Swanton.

Saturation is curated by William Laffan and Dawn Williams, who previously curated the hugely successful Naked Truth: The Nude In Irish Art at Crawford Art Gallery (2018).

The gallery has teamed up with Cork company Pat McDonnell Paints for this exhibition, which opens today and continues until summer.

The partnership is fitting, as these are artists who create a heightened experience through the use of colour.

Pat McDonnell Paints’ colour consultants worked with the curators to fine-tune the paint choices in the gallery to best support the artists’ work and offer the public a vibrant display. It showcases photographic works by the 13 young artists and embraces aspects of social media, street and fashion photography and music.

Pat McDonnell Paints previously partnered Crawford Art Gallery to renew the historic Sculpture Galleries for the hugely successful Recasting Canova in 2019.

“A proud Cork-based family-owned business, we at Pat McDonnell Paints are delighted to support the Crawford Art Gallery in bringing Saturation: the everyday transformed to the people of Cork and its visitors alike,” said Aidan McDonnell, company director at Pat McDonnell Paints.

Curator Dawn Williams added: “Crawford Art Gallery is delighted to be working with Pat McDonnell Paints again in partnering this major exhibition. The use and array of colour in the artists’ work displayed in Saturation: the everyday transformed is consistent with the understanding of the power of colour which the team at Pat McDonnell Paints so clearly demonstrate in their work.”

• The exhibition runs from today, January 29, until June 26

Brian Burke.

BUDDING GARDENERS

Calling green-fingered folk of all ages! Whether you are a budding or seasoned gardener who started the year intent on spending more time outside, or a teacher seeking a project for your pupils, this could be for you.

Woodie’s has just announced the return of its children’s gardening competition Budding Gardeners as they call on schools and families around Ireland to get gardening in 2022.

Last year, Eric Moore (9) from Castlebar was the envy of his school friends when he impressed judge Brian Burke with his gardening skills to win the inaugural year of the competition.

Super Garden judge and former Bloom winner Brian Burke at Bloom Festival with Adela Pak and Ruby and Flynn with busker Sam Clifford. Picture: Paul Sharp

Enter as a class, a family or individual child and take on the three set tasks to be in with a chance of winning prizes. Complete all three tasks and you could be walking away with the grand prize of €2,500 cash to spend on a garden makeover for your school.

Registration is at woodies.ie/budding-gardeners. Sign up before January 31 to receive a starter pack, each of which includes a journal with step-by-step guides for each task plus additional activities, and the seeds and bulbs needed.

The prizes to be won include trip for your class at school to Bloom, a gardening workshop with judge Brian Burke for your class, or a school tour worth €1,000.