Local artist, Nollaig Molloy, has said more support needs to be given to aspiring artists across the country and that her first solo exhibition entitled ‘Material Witness’, which is currently showing in the Arts Centre, would not have been possible without the support of local groups such as Roscommon County Council, Roscommon Arts Centre, Ros Fm and the South Roscommon Singers Circle.
She said: “I’ve been very blessed to receive the funding and the arts bursary. Within the arts, visual arts is down (the pecking order) and you have to work with the other arts. Some people came on the opening night and were surprised we had a space like this here. Arts is so important to society that I think it should be valued more.”
Material Witness is an exhibition of new works by Nollaig examining the stories, material culture and folk customs in Co. Roscommon as told by the generation after the 1916 Rising. The artist uses the National Schools Folklore Collection of 1937-1938 as inspiration for clay sculptures which include clay pipes and various bowls and containers.
Nollaig explained: “Some of the clay I have taken from Lecarrow and then some was taken from Galey Bay. I worked with Batty O’Brien who is a ceramacist originally from Knockcroghery, the Clay Pipe Visitor Centre and the South Roscommon Singers Circle, so there’s a huge connection with local people.”
The exhibition runs in the Roscommon Arts Centre until the 3rd of June and features works with clay set to background music provided by the Singers Circle and three framed stories which were written by Jimmy Farrell based on information from Pat Joe Carroll from Mount Cashel in Kilrooskey. There will be a talk about the exhibition with visual arts curator, Linda Shevlin on Thursday, April 28th at 8 pm.
