Moate artist John Galvin appears on America's biggest shopping channel
By Rebekah O'Reilly
Moate man John Galvin had a St Patrick's Day to remember this year, as he made his first appearance on QVC, America's biggest shopping channel.
The local visual artist, who operates 'John Galvin Fine Art' on Moate's Main Street, was among a group of ten Irish businesses to have their products platformed by the shopping channel, which broadcasts to a 100 million-strong audience.
"It was a bit daunting, but I am really delighted with the outcome," John told the Westmeath Independent. "It was an extremely large audience, and the reaction was really positive."
John was approached by QVC about making an appearance on the programme at an Art and Design Council tradeshow called Showcase, in the RDS in Dublin, last year.
"They picked out three of my prints, and those were the ones that were re-produced for the St Patrick's Day programme. It was a great honour, and very humbling to be chosen."
The show was broadcast live from the QVC studios situated in the small town of Westchester just outside of Philadelphia.
John and his fellow Irish business owners received a full day of training on March 14 ahead of their product showcase on St Patrick's Day.
The programme was presented by American actress Terri Conn and TV host Steve Doss.
"We did two shows on the day, one in the morning and one in the evening," John said. "I got eight minutes of airtime on each show, which is actually a lot of time on television."
After the success of his first TV appearance on QVC, John has been invited back for a second run in the autumn of this year.
"They've invited me back for their Rose of Tralee special, so they were very happy with how the show went!" he said, adding that he will paint three brand-new original paintings which will be made into prints for the special appearance.
John's original paintings are painted in oils and cover a vast range of subjects.
"I want my paintings to capture and portray the extraordinary, which lies hidden in the ordinary, to open our eyes and our minds to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us in everyday life," he stated.
John's prints are available in 70 locations around Ireland in collaboration with Blue Shoes Gallery, as well as online at www.johngalvinfineart.com.
His 13 inch x 11 inch framed prints are priced at €60, with larger 26 inch x 22 inch framed prints available for €200.
John's appearance on QVC's St Patrick's Day special is available on QVC's YouTube channel and can be found by searching for 'John Galvin Fine Art Choice of Framed Artwork on QVC'.