Gibbstown Hall to host 'Nature of Meath' art show for Heritage Week
As a result of modern life the connectedness of most people to the land has steadily been etched away. This trend in recent times is undoubtedly on the turn with an increase in environmental awareness brought about by the climate and biodiversity crises. More and more people are becoming more aware of our impact on our environment. There appears a slow and steady revival in our appreciation of nature.
Gibbstown is a thriving Gaeltacht community which is reflected in the recent restoration of its community hall. There has been a great urge amongst the community to get the most out of this building, to strengthen the Irish language, our culture and create a more sustainable Gaeltacht society.
It is hoped that by running our first annual art show inspired by Meath’s natural and cultural heritage we can further the objectives of our community. In this vein it was decided to run this event during the first weekend of National Heritage Week.
We have endeavoured to gather together as many artists as possible to best speak on the 'Nature of Meath'. Twelve very distinctive artists have come forward to exhibit how nature has inspired their work through a variety of media.
The open landscapes in Meath inspire many of our artists including Ian Rogan, Lorraine Clarke and Mary McAteer who focuses on the agricultural qualities. Others have a specific landscape which influences their work, Gwen O’Sullivan for instance extracts intense colour and mystery from Oristown bog. Others are inspired by the more simple natural structures in our landscape, Jos Menting, who works with film photography derives beauty from trees in monochromatic imagery playing with light and shadow. Some of the artists capture nature quite literally, Paula Casey gathers her nature finds together constructing stunning sculptural pieces, Elizabeth MacArdle finds solace in the plants of Meath’s hedgerows, binding together species to create beautiful, functional baskets.
The approaching show aims to capture all artistic members of our community; professional and amateur artists, young and old (this year we will feature the work of a nineteen-year-old and an octogenarian!). We aim to continue Gibbstown Art Show annually and encourage all those taking part, revel in art, our natural and cultural Heritage.