Athlone artist Rosaleen Heavin opens her first solo exhibition

Athlone artist Rosaleen Heavin has opened her first solo exhibition, Echoes of the West, at Athlone Art Gallery in The Village @ Burgess, Lloyd’s Lane.

The exhibition brings together paintings developed over the past eight years and inspired by Rosaleen’s time spent travelling and painting in the west of Ireland. Her work explores memory, grief and the emotional experience of being in a landscape, with particular attention to the region’s skies, mist, changing weather and shifting light.

One of the paintings in the exhibition, The Path Less Travelled, was featured in the prestigious Irish Arts Review, a leading Irish publication dedicated to fine art, design, architecture, photography, sculpture, heritage and craft.

The exhibition was opened by Rosaleen’s daughter, Louise Heavin, a former Mayor of Athlone. Louise said that local people may know her mother in many different ways—as a neighbour, friend, classmate, mental health nurse, set designer, play director or local volunteer—but that her artistic journey began many years ago.

Rosaleen first studied art at the Mercy Convent in Moate before going on to achieve a high grade in Leaving Certificate Art and securing a place at the Limerick School of Art and Design. She ultimately chose to remain closer to home because of her father’s ill health and began training as a psychiatric nurse at St Loman’s Hospital in Mullingar.

She went on to have a long career in mental health services in the midlands, working at St Loman’s and later in Athlone. She completed her career as a Clinical Nurse Manager in the Day Care Centre.

Art remained part of Rosaleen’s professional and personal life. She ran art classes for patients and clients in St Loman’s and Athlone, developing an understanding of the therapeutic value of creative practice.

As she approached retirement, Rosaleen returned to formal art education. She completed a degree in fine art at GMIT, now Atlantic Technological University, graduating with distinction. Her final-year work was selected for national display at the RDS Student Awards.

She later completed a master’s degree in Art and Community-Based Practice at the Limerick School of Art and Design, now part of TUS. Her work included Our Vision, Our Voice, a photovoice project with Longford Westmeath mental health services, which was subsequently developed through similar projects in Dublin and Waterford.

The exhibition has a particular significance for the Heavin family because Rosaleen’s late husband, Michael Heavin, began his working life at Burgess.

Michael’s first job after leaving school was at Burgess, where he was one of the first apprentices to receive a rise. He later became a well-known Athlone businessman, establishing Michael Heavin Carpets and Furniture, which continues to operate on the Dublin Road in Athlone.

Alastair Gray, director of Burgess, spoke at the opening about how fitting it was to host Rosaleen’s first solo exhibition at The Village @ Burgess, given Michael’s early connection with the business and the family’s longstanding links with Athlone.

The paintings in Echoes of the West developed during a period when Rosaleen began to focus more fully on her own practice. Over eight years, excluding the Covid years, she travelled alone to the west of Ireland, renting a house for a week at a time.

“It was time taken to grieve, to reflect and come to terms with Michael's passing, and my own sense of loss,” Rosaleen said.

The journeys also provided time to paint and reconnect with a practice that had sometimes been set aside. Some of the works were begun and then left unfinished, facing the wall for long periods. Gradually, Rosaleen’s love of painting returned.

She said the paintings were not intended to create photographic records of particular locations.

“For me, as you can see, painting is not about capturing a perfect photographic record of a place or a moment, though I do take photos that interest me, but to me it’s about how that moment felt, and what was it about the atmosphere that spoke to me.”

The exhibition also fulfils a final request made by Rosaleen’s late husband, Michael.

“Before he passed Michael asked me three things to do when he was gone and this is the final request completed.”

Rosaleen said the paintings reflected the skies, mist, changing weather and quiet spaces of the west.

“I have painted the skies, the mists and the joy I derived from the shifting light, the weather changes and the quiet spaces where healing can take place.”

Louise said the exhibition was particularly special because it brought the colours and atmosphere of the west of Ireland into the centre of Athlone.

“We’re coming into dark evenings and dull days. It’s a real treat to have the colours of the west to call into in Athlone.”

Echoes of the West continues at Athlone Art Gallery until mid-November. Admission is free.