2014 THEME DECIDED & NEW MEMBER

We had a productive Group 8 meeting last night and confirmed our theme for our 2014 annual exhibition: Garbally. It is the local big house (built by Lord Clancarty in the 17th century) and is now a boys' school. It has beautiful grounds and lots of history. We will be brainstorming and creating over the next few months to come up with gorgeous art and writing for our exhibition in March.

We also welcomed ceramicist Walter Coughlan, who runs the Kilconnell Art Space, on board. You can view some of Walter's beautiful works on the YouTube video above. Walter arrived at the meeting in his vintage Mustang. A fabulous car that had us all in swoons.

We have plans for a Culture Night exhibition too, on 20th September in Tosnú Art Gallery in Ballinasloe - so stay tuned for that.

ÚNA SPAIN IN THE SUNDAY TIMES

Úna Spain - St Brigid's

Congratulations to Group 8 member Úna Spain whose photographs of St Brigid's in Ballinasloe receive high praise in todays' Sunday Times Culture magazine. Critic John. P. O'Sullivan reviews the Gallery of Photography group exhibition 'Uncertain State', which features Úna's work.

He singles out Úna's images for special praise, using many superlatives: 'beautiful compositions', 'striking images' and 'fascinating'. This is well deserved notice for Úna who is a consummate artist.

The exhibition runs until 11th August so there is still time to catch it.

ÚNA SPAIN @GALLERY OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Group 8 member Úna Spain is exhibiting in Dublin at the Gallery of Photography as part of the group show Uncertain State until Sunday 11th August. Úna's work records poignant traces from St Brigid’s de-commisioned Victorian institution for the mentally ill in Ballinasloe.

From the gallery's site:

Uncertain State looks at how photographic artists are representing this period of austerity and uncertainty in Ireland. Their work addresses important issues at the heart of where we are now: contested and hidden histories, effects of the global financial crisis and the radically altered social and physical landscapes. The ten artists in Uncertain State go beyond surface readings to reflect the emerging concerns in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland: the treatment of asylum seekers; institutional abuse; sexual abuse; emigration; the legacy of the property crash; identity; disadvantage & marginalisation; and the legacy of conflict.

The exhibition is presented as part of the Temple Bar Photography Summer School. The issues raised by the exhibition will be reflected in the 2 days of summer school talks. 28th -30th June 2013. 

Congrats, Úna. 

THE G8 GATHERING - LAUNCH PICS

A few pics from our hugely successful launch night.

Bernadette Finn admires John Soden's work

Úna Spain & Joyce Little, prepping - Úna's work in background

iRadio's Fergal D'Arcy launching the exhibition

Úna O'Connor and Lyra O'Connor-Carr

Artists John Soden, Grellan Ganly & Tommy Campbell - Brendan Grealy's work behind

Finbar McLoughlin with Úna Spain's work

Writer Margaret Hickey reads Zara Little-Campbell's poems

Juno McLoughlin

Lyra O'Connor-Carr

Nuala Ní Chonchúir reading her prose

Johnny Johnston and friend, provided emigrant songs

Writer Mary Melvin-Geoghegan studies Joyce'Little's artwork

Michael McCullagh and Maureen Cahalan - Zara's work behind

Group 8: Tommy, Grellan, John, Brendan, Nuala, Úna & Joyce (Zara & Fiona Glynn not in pic)

GATHERING EXHIB - SNEAK PREVIEW

Today is set-up day and, as always with our exhibitions, we are giving a sneak preview of the work. Please join us tomorrow night at 7pm in Hayden's for the launch. Wine, food, song, readings and lots of beautiful art.

Glazed ceramic head - Grellan Ganly

John Soden hanging his paintings

Jack Soden - helping!

Nuala Ní Chonchúir's phototext book American Wake

Catalogue and wall cards

Joyce Little hanging her work

Brendan Grealy's work waiting to be hung

Úna Spain prepping her lightboxes

Testing the launch wine

The Group 8 Gathering exhibition launch

The Boat, bog oak, Tommy Campbell

Group 8 launches its fourth annual exhibition of art and writing, The Group 8 Gathering, on Friday the 15th March at 7pm in The Regency Room in Hayden’s Hotel, Ballinasloe. The exhibition will take place between the 15th and the 18th of March 2013, daily from 11am to 6pm, including Saint Patrick’s Day. 

The Group 8 Gathering is the result of collaborative work the group undertook around the theme of emigration and returning home. Ballinasloe has seen its share of emigrants and even inspired one of the most famous images of emigration: Erskine Nicol’s ‘The Emigrants’ which is housed in London’s Tate Gallery. The painting shows a red-shawled woman at Ballinasloe train station on her way, with others, to Galway to board boats to America. The Group 8 Gathering draws on historic and present day experiences of emigration through installation, photography, fiction, paintings, sculpture and poetry.

Group 8 is comprised of seven visual artists and two writers: Joyce Little – visual and multimedia artist; Tommy Campbell – sculptor; Grellan Ganly – visual artist; Úna Spain – visual artist; Brendan Grealy – visual artist; Nuala Ní Chonchúir – writer; Zara Little-Campbell – writer; John Soden – painter; and Fiona Glynn – textile designer.

The group’s mission statement sets out what we hope to achieve: ‘Group 8 is a non-profit, professional arts group, united in the belief that art worthy of exposure can express the vitality of a community, and foster awareness, imagination and co-operative learning between the artist and their community.’ The group also hosts literary events.

The Group 8 Gathering, and its accompanying catalogue, will be launched by Fergal D’Arcy. All are welcome to come and see sculpture, photography, installations, and paintings; listen to live poetry and fiction readings, music from Johnny Johnston, and enjoy a glass of wine. Admission is free.

THE EMIGRANTS - ERSKINE NICOL

Erskine Nicol’s beautiful painting ‘The Emigrants’, which belongs to London’s Tate Gallery, fits beautifully with our theme, The Group 8 Gathering.

The painting shows a red-shawled woman at Ballinasloe train station on her way, with others, to Galway to board boats to America.

Our exhibition launches on Friday the 15th march, 7pm, at Hayden's Hotel. Wine, food, readings, music, and beautiful art. All welcome!

The Emigrants - Erskine Nicol - image: Tate website