Roscommon Arts Centre has reopened its doors to the public as part of a phased opening of the building over the coming weeks and months.
The ‘show’ gets underway with the resumption of artist Margo McNulty’s ‘Duality’ exhibition which will now remain in place until July 31.
Primarily an exhibition of prints and paintings by the artist, the exhibition also includes an artist book which contains McNulty’s images as well as writing by Shauna Gilligan, novelist and short story writer from Kildare.
Margo’s work deals with hidden history, memory and place. It concerns itself with episodes of chance, the intersection of personal and public histories and how these histories and meanings can be embedded in material objects.
Her images are complemented by Shauna’s text - created from their common interest in the concept of shrinking buildings, belonging, collective and individual land memory and the materiality of the Curragh, County Kildare. The Curragh became Margo’s focal point in this body of work, while the process of collaboration with Gilligan, was born out of the parallels between the visual and written stories. According to Margo, “our work sprang out of the dialogue between our individual creations and Duality is the narrative which emerged from our collaboration”.
This will be followed by two further exhibitions by artist Mark Garry and Paul Hallahan later in the year.
In line with Government guidelines and following a risk assessment of the space, access to the gallery will be limited to just 10 an any one time. Gallery doors will remain open and hand sanitising stations are in place at exit and entry points. While the wearing of face masks is not currently obligatory, the public are encouraged to follow Government advice in relation to this and encouraged to do.
The opening of the gallery will be followed, in time, by a re-imagined programme of events in the theatre space. To date, 65 performances have either been cancelled or rescheduled, including the entire planned summer season.
Roscommon Arts Centre, however, is currently finalising an alternative season of events which will include seeing much loved and familiar faces take to the stage for intimate and cabaret style performances, which will hopefully get underway in late July.
“We are acutely aware of the challenge that lies ahead as we work our way through the many obstacles of presenting live work on stage with our colleagues in the sector.
“We are lucky here in Roscommon Arts Centre in so far as we can retract our seating and offer more cabaret/restaurant style seating arrangements and we hope that this, together with the various measures we are putting in place in the building and our reduced seating capacity will encourage our patrons to return,” Arts Centre Director Averyl Dooher, commented.
Opening hours for the centre also return to near normal for the public next week as the phones click back over to box office and staff are on duty from 10am – 5pm Tuesday – Friday on 0906 625824.
