THE VOLVO Ocean Race will not just be about the climax to a big sporting event, as the race finale in Galway will also be a celebration of the visual arts with a number of exhibitions taking place.
One of the main shows for the festival will be Apposite Extravaganza: Cheating Progress, at Exchange House, Fairgreen Road, near the Radisson Blu Hotel. It is curated by Jim Ricks.
Exchange House on Fairgreen Road has been reworked and modified especially for this exhibition and has been provided by property owner John Hughes.
Exhibiting artists are Nina Amazing, Aideen Barry, John Brady, Michelle Brown, Carol Anne Connolly, Roisin Coyle, Dorothy Cross, Benjamin de Burca, Economic Thought Projects, Simon Fleming, Ann Maria Healy, Martin Healy, John Herrick, Austin Ivers, Ken Lee, Maggie Madden, Louise Manifold, Fiona Murray, Angela O’Brien, Occupy Galway, Tadhg O'Cuirrin, Roisin O’Sullivan, Sheila Rennick, Amy Taylor, and Sarah Quick.
The show features a diverse range of works ranging from the recreation of a local sitting room, a tornado like sculpture of miniature houses, a shark’s heart, as well as photography, sculpture, painting and video. Strands within the exhibition include research and showing works in development.
Many of the works deal with issues that relate directly to Galway and Ireland, others to larger global concerns. Others seek to deconstruct the sometimes impenetrable world of art museums and institutions.
The exhibition opens tomorrow at 6pm with a performance by Economic Thought Projects. It runs until July 8.
Another key Volvo Ocean Race exhibition will be the Maritime Museum in the former West Ireland Cycle premises, beside Oscar’s Bistro, Upper Dominick Street.
Curated by Annemarie Deacy the museum will showcase aspects of Galway’s maritime past from the 1850s into the 1900s.
The exhibition will include a large collection of model merchant ships from businessman and maritime enthusiast Ernie Deacy; numerous memorabilia including communication devices, an exhibition of old photos and filmed interviews; plus many objects of interest that have been donated for the duration of the museum.
From Wednesday July 4, there will be teatime lectures on various aspects of Galway’s maritime past: author and historian Timothy Collins will speak about the first transatlantic steam powered ships out of Galway in the 1850s; Colman J Shaughnessy, a former Marconi radio officer and member of the Radio Officer Association will also give a lecture; Local historian and maritime enthusiast Michael Conneely will speak on John Philip Holland, the Clareman who invented the submarine.
Maritime Museum will open from 11am to 5pm from Wednesday July 4 to Saturday July 7. Evening lectures will take place at 6.30pm on the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with tea and coffee provided. For more information see www.galwayswestend.com Norman Villa Gallery’s annual Summer Show group exhibition opens this evening and runs throughout the Volvo Ocean Race Festival.
The exhibition will feature works by more than 20 artists including Tony O’Malley, Brian Bourke, Ger Sweeney, Barry Cooke, Philip Lindey, Lisa Sweeney, and Debi O’Hehir.
Those interested in the sea and all things maritime will be especially interested in pastels by Jay Murphy which explore shipwrecks and the paintings of the Aran Islander Seán O’Flaithearta.
The exhibition is open daily from 12 noon to 6pm and runs until July 8.
The Galway Arts Centre, 47 Dominick Street, will host a photographic exhibition celebrating the Connemara Pony. It opens this Saturday and runs until Sunday July 8. Opening hours are 10am to 5.30pm.
