It’s great to see a return to come cultural activity at long last, even if a little muted.
Helping to restore some nutrition for the soul is Ballina Arts Centre, which will be open to the public once again from Monday 20th of July, on a phased basis.
Their hard working team is back getting your local arts centre ready in accordance with Government Reopening Guidelines, and every step has be taken to ensure the health and safety of staff, visitors and customers.
Social distancing, hand sanitisers, face masks, daily cleaning schedules and staff training will all be in place for the first phase of opening to make every effort to ensure your visit to Ballina Arts Centre is as safe and enjoyable as possible.
Both gallery spaces will be open to the public, with two very exciting exhibitions for everyone to enjoy. These are the exhibitions which had been in place prior to the initial Covid-19 lockdown at the end of March.
The main gallery is hosting the fascinating collaborative exhibition Beyond Drawing, a celebration of contemporary work, exploring how artists use drawing to examine themes including identity, place and memory; pushing the boundaries of the medium further than ever before.
The artists featured in the exhibition are: Marleen Kappe, Romy Muijrers, Marisa Rappard (all from the Netherlands); and Kiera O’Toole, Mary-Ruth Walsh, Felicity Clear (all from Ireland).
Beyond Drawing is curated by Dutch artist Arno Kramer, who, in 2017, curated Human Chain, a drawing exhibition with Ballina Arts Centre.
The stunning Concourse Gallery over looking the River Moy hosts Ballina native Fiona Cawley’s solo show A Shared Space (pictured), comprising a series of paintings exploring themes such as human and animal relationships, their coexistence and the impact of the man-made on the environment.
Through the intertwining of expressive painting and dramatic subject matter Fiona paints fictional scenes based on memory and the imagination depicting interiors and landscapes populated by creatures such as birds in flight, running deer and the female figure.
Both exhibitions will run until 29th August.
Sean Walsh, Director of Ballina Art Centre, said: “We are delighted to be reopening our doors to the public. The last few months have been a period of concern and uncertainty for the whole world, and hopefully we are coming to the end of it. With the prospect of normal life resuming, we at Ballina Arts Centre are happy to be back presenting art and the arts to the people of North Mayo. Phase 1 of our reopening will see our galleries opening, and in September, Phase 2 will see a return to some kind of broader programming. We are following the strict guidelines and will be doing our best to ensure that a visit to the centre is a safe and enjoyable.”
More info on reopening and upcoming events will be available on Ballina Arts Centre’s website and social media pages over the next week so keep an eye out for those. If you’ve any queries just drop an email to the staff at www.ballinaartscentre.com and someone will be able to help you out.
