Two talented Mayo artists were selected to participate in a recent Macnas Engineers of Imagination initiative. The programme, sponsored by Bank of Ireland, saw 10 of Ireland’s most exciting emerging visual artists brought to Galway for a month-long programme.
Nuala Gallagher from Clare Island, a graduate of 3D design, modelmaking, and digital art from IADT, and Elaine Mears from Ballina, a graduate of English, media, and cultural studies, IADT, were among the 10 students chosen from hundreds of applications for the mentoring programme last month.
Gallagher and Mears, along with students from Louth, Galway, Dublin, and Sligo, were mentored by experienced Macnas designers and worked alongside them to create pieces featured in Halloween parades which took place in Galway on October 29 and in Dublin on October 30. The students’ work will also feature in the closing event for the European City of Culture in Hull.
Brian Carey, head of Bank of Ireland, Galway city, said: “Bank of Ireland is thrilled to support the Macnas Engineers of Imagination initiative. We are committed to promoting Ireland’s next generation of visionary designers and makers. Giving students and recent graduates like Nuala and Elaine first-hand experience of creating virtual and augmented reality spectacles through costume and set design, metal sculpting, mask and prop design is really important.
“We are looking forward to working with Macnas to expand the programme, so we can continue to support talented young Irish artists and designers.”
Macnas CEO Noeline Kavanagh welcomed the vital support provided by Bank of Ireland for this initiative. “We are absolutely excited and thrilled to be working with Bank of Ireland on the EOI programme," she said. "This is something that Macnas and Bank of Ireland have been working toward over the last 18 months. We are looking forward to expanding this programme in future and look forward to the culmination of this project as part of our 2020 visionary epic event."
