PHOTOS: Athlone artist wins award as new Luan Gallery exhibition is launched
A new exhibition of work by Westmeath artists opened in Athlone's Luan Gallery on Friday last, November 29.
Let The Mirror Express The Room is the title of the Westmeath Artists Awards exhibition at the gallery, which features work by 32 Westmeath artists, selected by guest curator Benjamin Stafford.
All of the exhibiting artists were considered for a professional development award, which was announced at the exhibition's opening.
The winner of the Westmeath Artists Award 2024 is Athlone native Amanda Ralph, who will receive a Luan Gallery Visual Arts Development Award of €1,500, amongst other benefits, including a future exhibition slot at Luan Gallery, a studio residency at Abbey Road Artists’ Studios, a studio visit, and mentorship from guest curator Benjamin Stafford.
Amanda Ralph, who was born in Athlone on 1966, graduated with a Fine Art degree from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, in 1990, and an MFA from the University of Arizona on a Fulbright Scholarship in 1995.
Her first solo exhibition, Coroner Regrets, was held at Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin (1999), and toured to the Orchard Gallery Derry (2000) and the Irish Arts Centre, New York, (2002).
Amanda has completed public art commissions, with work permanently sited at Lough Boora Sculpture Park, and has participated in residencies in the Netherlands, France, and New York, representing Ireland in PS1 MoMA’s International Residency Programme.
Her work is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin City Council, Culture Ireland, and Westmeath County Council.
The Let The Mirror Express The Room exhibition was officially opened at the Luan Gallery with guest speakers Cllr Liam McDaniel, Cathaoirleach, Westmeath County Council; Laura McCormack, Acting Arts Officer, Westmeath County Council; and Benjamin Stafford, Curator of Visual Art at VISUAL, Carlow.
Almost 50 works by 32 artists are showcased in the exhibition, with several of the artists exhibiting for the first time in Luan Gallery.
Westmeath artists selected for exhibition include; Nataliia Bobak, Emma O' Brien, Anne Marie Burke, Eoin Butler, Emma Carter, Richard Clarke, Mary Cosgrove, Martina Coyle, Alan Crowley, Bertille de Lestrade, Kyle Collins, Maebh Donovan, Mark Duffy, Lorraine Dunne, Trish Findlater, Olivia Finn, Paul Flaherty, Nicole Gill, Jacinta Guinan, Tina Hayes, Fiona Kelly, Hilary Kinahan, Lorraine Mimnagh, Muiris Moynihan, EL Putnam, Amanda Ralph, Paul Roy, Nóilín Shaw, Celine Sheridan, Annette Treacy, Lesley Wingfield, and Ann Wingfield.
The exhibition will continue until Sunday, February 2, with seasonal closures from December 23-27, and December 30-31 inclusive.
Luan Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 5pm and Sundays from 12pm to 5pm. Admittance to Luan Gallery is free, and guided tours are available to all at no cost. More information on the exhibition and upcoming events can be found at www.athloneartsandtourism.ie/luan-gallery/ and on Luan Gallery’s social channels.