5th September – 19th December 2014
Press Release
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| Boyle Civic Art Collection Trustees Barry Feely and Conor Dowling packing items for the RHA Exhibition |
The Boyle Arts Festival was established over 25 years ago as a small event providing a platform to local poets, singers and visual artists. Over the next few years it developed so that by the 1990s the visual artists exhibiting were of national importance. Alongside the art exhibition, the Boyle Arts Festival also developed a well-regarded national profile. In 1990 it was decided that the commission made on the sale of paintings would be used to acquire works of art for the town of Boyle. The first two paintings, by Joe Hanly and John Moore, were purchased in 1990 by Mr. Fergus Ahern and Mr. Barry Feely.
From its modest beginnings the collection has grown into a nationally recognised collection with over 280 pieces of art from nearly every known contemporary Irish artist. Mr. Fergus Ahern, curator of the Boyle Civic Art Collection from its inception until his untimely death in 2010, was the driving force behind the annual summer exhibition. The majority of the collection was purchased by him from sales commission of these annual exhibitions, with a number of works generously donated by the Haverty Trust and the artists themselves. Under the current curatorship of Mr. Barry Feely the collection continues to grow, with a number of exciting developments planned for its 25th anniversary in 2015.
The Boyle Civic Art Collection is at present displayed in a number of locations throughout Boyle, with the main body of work being housed in King House.
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| Boyle Civic Art Collection trustees Barry Feely and Conor Dowling |
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| Boyle Civic Art Collection trustees Barry Feely and Conor Dowling |
Contact:
Kate Bell
Boyle Civic Art Collection
Boyle Enterprise Centre
Quarry Lane
Boyle, Co. Roscommon
kate@boylecivicart.com
085 107 4078
