Samhlaiocht Exhibition Inspired by Arts Council Collection

Exhibition by Tralee Studetns, 'Re-Marked', on display from Friday, Oct 31st to Fri, Nov 14th

During the Samhlaiocht Easter Festival an exhibition of drawings from the collection of The Arts Council of Ireland was on display in the Samhlaiocht and Siamsa Galleries. The exhibition called 'Making Their Mark' was a huge success and represented an unprecedented and unique opportunity for the people of Kerry to see works by artists of national renown. Samhlaiocht invited local students to visit the exhibition and to produce work of their own in response to that exhibition - the current exhibition, Re-Marked, is their creative response.

"The Making Their Mark exhibition featured works by artists such as James Hanley, Camille Souter, Brian Bourke and Stephen Brandes," said Trish Thompson, Gallery Coordinator at Samhlaiocht. "From traditional to contemporary, the exhibition revealed the breadth and imagination within the drawing practices of artists working in Ireland over the past 40 years and we felt it a wonderful opportunity for students in Kerry to both see the work and create work in response to it."

"The opportunity to submit work for public exhibition is at once exhilarating and daunting. The process of making a considered response to the works of others challenged the students' creativity in surprising ways," said Lillie O' Sullivan, art teacher at Presentation Secondary School. "The range of techniques and experimental approaches they employed in their work included making paper by hand, marbling, sewing, carving lino, driving nails, tearing up perfectly respectable charcoal drawings and putting canvas through the printing press."

"Samhlaiocht would like to congratulate the students from both Presentation Secondary School and Tralee Community College who have picked up the gauntlet to respond to the work of those well-known Irish artists," added Trish. "Taking on board other artists' ideas and creative approaches is no easy task, but these students have done so with great flair, successfully pushing the boundaries of their own creativity resulting in innovative, challenging and exciting work of their own."

"While it was a frustrating and exasperating process at times," added Lilie with a laugh, "it was also hugely rewarding and enriching. It's a great opportunity for the students to participate fully as artists in a public exhibition, to have their work acknowledged and their achievements celebrated. The students sparkle with creativity and spirit and I am very proud of each and every one of them!"

Samhlaiocht is indebted to the consistent support and cooperation of Lillie O' Sullivan from the Presentation Secondary School Tralee, Mary Kirby from Tralee Community College, and to Helena Gorey, Collections Manager with the Arts Council of Ireland. This project and the resulting exhibitions would not have been possible without their enthusiasm and unwavering commitment.

The exhibition, which is titled 'Re-marked', opens on Friday, October 31st, and runs until Friday, November 14th , in the new Samhlaiocht Gallery which is located in the Old Presbytery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee. The Gallery is open from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, is free to visit and all are welcome.

For more information on Samhlaiocht please log on to http://www.samhlaiocht.com/

Oscar Winner Brenda Fricker at Kerry Film Festival

The Kerry Film Festival, which is celebrating nine years of bringing film to Kerry, today announced that Brenda Fricker is to receive an award at the Kerry Film Festival, which runs from November 1st to November 8th.

The award is named in honour of one of the most glamorous leading ladies of Hollywood's golden era, Maureen O' Hara.

"It's a privilege for me to have Brenda Fricker pick up the inaugural award," said Maureen O' Hara. "Brenda has displayed courage and determination throughout her career and her Oscar Winning role as Mrs. Brown in MY LEFT FOOT is one of the great highlights in Irish acting. I'm absolutely delighted that Brenda will accept this award and I wish her the very best in her career, in film and, most importantly, in her life."

"I'm absolutely thrilled to accept the award. It's lovely to be honoured and there's a wee space on my mantle piece, right next to the Oscar, for this," said Brenda Fricker with a laugh. "I'm looking forward to the Kerry Film Festival and am honoured to receive the award!"

Brenda won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Christy Brown's mother in Jim Sheridan's MY LEFT FOOT in one of the two outstanding Oscar winning performances in the film. Working again with Sheridan she co-starred in THE FIELD which was based on the play of the same name by Kerry Legend, John B. Keane. The film was shot on location in Kerry.

Brenda has starred in other Irish classics including INSIDE I'M DANCING, VERONICA GUERIN and in films such as Pen Densham's MOLL FLANDERS and Joel Schumacher's A TIME TO KILL. Unusual for an actress with such a fine gift for characterisation and dramatic roles, Brenda is equally adept with comedy having played a homeless lady in the hugely successful HOME ALONE 2 and a Weekly World News obsessed Scottish Mom to Mike Myers in SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER.

While Maureen O' Hara was undoubtedly one of Hollywood's best loved actresses, she was much more than just a pretty face. When Maureen became an American citizen on January 25, 1946 she retained her Irish citizenship, which was the first time in history that the United States government recognized an Irish citizen as Irish and it led to a change in process for all Irish immigrants. Maureen was also the first female CEO of an American airline company. Whether in the movies, in politics or in business Maureen demonstrated a quality for leadership and a bravery that was extraordinary and Brenda Fricker displays many of the same characteristics.

Maureen currently lives in County Cork and to honour her Kerry Film Festival is screening the John Ford classic THE QUIET MAN in a special screening to take place in Siamsa Tire on November 1st at 8:00 pm

The Maureen O' Hara Award acknowledges women that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their respective fields and Brenda Fricker is a most worthy recipient. The award giving will take place at the Kerry Film Festival Awards Ceremony at Fels Point Hotel in Tralee on Saturday, November 8th at 3:00 pm.

The Award Ceremony is the culmination of a week of films at Kerry Film Festival. The Awards ceremony will also feature the screening of award winning short films as adjudicated by Kerry Film Festival's panel of judges Liam Neeson, Kirsten Sheridan, John Carney and Oscar winning short film makers Suzie Templeton and Vanessa Roth.

The closing night film, DAMBE: THE MALI PROJECT, a musical documentary that follows Irish musicians Liam O' Maonlai and Paddy Keenan on a trip of musical discovery to the most remote music festival in the world, Festival au Desert, which takes place in Mail in the heart of Africa. The film will be followed by a Liam O' Maonlai concert. Both screening and concert to take place in St. James' Church in Dingle, on Saturday, November 8th, at 8:00 pm.

For more information on the Kerry Film Festival, please log onto http://www.kerryfilmfestival.com/ or call 066 712 9934.

Call for Entries - 2nd Annual Salon de Chiarrai Show

Salon Style Show to Open on Thursday, 20th November in Tralee

In the style of 18th Century French exhibitions, Samhlaiocht will unveil the second annual Salon de Chiarrai exhibition late this November. No wall space will be left uncovered!

Artists from all over Kerry are invited to submit work for the second annual Salon de Chiarrai, which will take place from 20th November to 23rd December at The Samhlaiocht Gallery in The Old Presbytery, Lower Castle Street Tralee.

"We were blown away with the number of entries for our first Salon De Chiarrai show," said Jason O' Mahony, Artistic Director of Samhlaiocht. "We received original paintings, drawings and etchings, large and small pieces in a whole variety of styles."

All original paintings, drawings and etchings, in any medium are welcome and there is no limitation on the scale of the work, however, submissions are limited to one per Artist. The only conditions for submission are that all work must be framed and ready for hanging, all work must be for sale, and work must not have previously been exhibited at The Samhlaiocht Gallery.

Last year over 80 pieces of art were selected from the submitted works and hung all over the walls in Samhlaiocht's intimate gallery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee.

"Kerry has always been known for its writers but last year the amount of work that was submitted suggests that in the future it'll be every bit as famous for its Artists!" added O' Mahony.

Work must be delivered to The Samhlaiocht Gallery during the week of the 10th to the 14th November. Artists will be notified if their work has been selected by Tuesday 18th November.

The Salon De Chiarrai Exhibition opens on 20th November and runs right through the Christmas period until December 23rd.

Last year's Salon had a wonderfully eclectic feeling to it, featuring everything from stunning landscapes to sketches of colourful Kerry characters such as John B. Keane and sales were brisk as the public picked up unique Christmas gifts that were treasured long after the holiday season passed.

All work must be clearly labelled with name and address and contact details of the Artist. Artists are encouraged to contact Trish Thompson on 066 712 9934 or through email on trish@samhlaiocht.com for more information.

For more info on Samhlaiocht please log on to http://www.samhlaiocht.com/

Samhlaiocht is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and through generous corporate sponsorship from Kerry Group.