Last Friday evening the Luan Gallery officially launched its newest exhibition, PASSAGE: Selected Works from the Niland Collection. Drawn from The Model Sligo’s renowned municipal collection, this exhibition features works including: Louis Le Brocquy’s The Táin series, works by notable women artists from the 20th century, and works of a water and landscape theme.
Aedín McGinn, assistant manager at Athlone Arts and Tourism Ltd said: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with The Model Sligo, home of the Niland Collection to deliver an exhibition of such high calibre to Athlone. The artists shown here are some of the country’s most prolific.
“With Veronica Bolay, Patrick Collins HRHA, Dorothy Cross, Marie Foley, Mainie Jellett, Clare Langan, Louis Le Brocquy HRHA, Tony O’Malley HRHA, and Anita Shelbourn RHA, we are in very good company here at Luan Gallery. Featuring a mixture of painting, photography, sculpture, print, and installation, these works include central figures from the modern art movement in Ireland as well as popular contemporary artists. The Niland Collection is unusual in that it represents women artists from the last century at a time when they weren’t widely acclaimed or exhibited, and in that sense, it represents a very special pocket of Irish social history. We are so pleased to be showing this work in Luan Gallery and look forward to delivering exhibition tours and talks to the local audience and community of Athlone.”
Melissa Smith, curatorial assistant at The Model spoke at the recent launch of the exhibition. “The Model is delighted to present a selection of works from The Niland Collection to audiences in the Midlands for the first time. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the diverse range of work held within Sligo’s Municipal Collection. We are happy to be working with Luan Gallery, which is a beautiful space that showcases this selection of work wonderfully.”
The Niland Collection was established in 1959 by the former county librarian, Norah Niland and today totals more than 300 works. Presenting over 30 artworks of historical interest, PASSAGE: Selected Works from the Niland Collection will be on show at Luan Gallery until the autumn. There will be a number of educational events run throughout the duration of the show including guided tours, talks, and workshops. Schools are encouraged to book in their groups for September/October to ensure this seminal body of art work is not missed.
Admission to the gallery is free for groups and individuals. School or group tours and workshops can be arranged by contacting the gallery in advance on (090 ) 6442154.
Luan Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am-5pm, Sunday from 12-5pm, and is closed on Mondays.
