Contemporary Irish Art Society Chairman's Report. AGM 29th May 2007
Today is the 29th May 2007 but this report, as the Chairman's, covers the twelve months from January to December 2006. It does seem a long time ago but the excitement of SIAR 50 is very vividly recalled and its great impact which is still very effective in placing your society to the forefront of the influences in bringing contemporary art to the place it now holds in Irish art practice and in the enrichment of our nation's people.
The major galleries. The Irish Museum of Modem Art and The Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, are thriving with almost a million visitors a year between them and each with major collections of contemporary work by both Irish and international artists of note. Any of you who visited the Art Fair at the R.D.S. earlier this month will have been impressed by just how vibrant the commercial art scene is, how impressive the quality of art work, in its various media, being produced in Ireland is and how appreciative the public is in engaging with it. But there is still work to be done, some are quite befuddled by some of its manifestations. I was amused to hear
two good ladies(not meaning to be sexist) stand before one abstract painting and exclaim "But what does it mean? And put the question rhetorically to each other:
'Would you want to buy that?'".
SIAR 50 placed great demand on the Council and each of us was involved in some way or other and it is a great credit to their generosity with their time and their effort that it proved so successful. It was also due to the generosity of our members who lent their paintings for the duration. But one person who gave of himself tirelessly and completely, to the sacrifice of his own output for many months, is our previous chairman. Professor Campbell Bruce; and his contribution deserves to be recorded and applauded in the annals of the Society. In all his efforts he was supported greatly
by his wife Jackie. We thank them both for their service to the Society.
Campbell retired at the AGM in June 2006 and council voted him an Honorary Patron at a subsequent meeting. We are privileged to have him and Pat Murphy, who has also contributed enormously to the Society over his years as a member of council and as Chairman and currently continues to work tirelessly for the advancement of the visual arts in Ireland as principal advisor to the Office of Public Works, to have them both as our Honorary Patrons.
Over the years your society has contributed enormously to the establishment and growth of interest in contemporary Art in galleries throughout the island; Cork, Limerick and Kilkenny have received many works over the years and each of them has gone from strength to strength in their collections and also in their extensions of their gallery spaces. Many other cities and towns are establishing their own centres of culture, and beautiful and exciting places they are, as witness a recent Irish Times
article on those of Thurles and Drogheda. Boyle, Drogheda, Sligo and Waterford have formidable collections of contemporary art due to the foresightedness and passion of interested and driven individuals. One of our members, Dr Abdul Bulbulia, has been the inspiration and force behind Waterford's Hospital giving art a prominent place in its healing mission.
From Castletownbere to Bangor, from Salthill to Bray, commercial galleries are now to be found throughout the country promoting contemporary art. Fine works have been commissioned for the striking new County Council Headquarters which have been built in recent years due to the enlightened 1% scheme. It is a vibrant scene and those who championed the cause in the past. Sir Hugh Lane, Sarah Purser, and the founders of our Society have played a major role in that success. That success has impacted on our own role. The increasing cost of art work, thankfully now a reality which permits artists to make a living from their profession, has meant that our financial resources can no longer rise to the purchase of such
significant works as it did in the past. The Galleries are now supported to such a degree by State subvention, that any contribution which we might make now no longer makes the difference it did in the past. Your council has opted to use those resources where it feels they can be more effective, in other institutions where what donations we can give really do make a difference and also encourage them to begin their own collections. For those reasons, if I may report beyond my current mandate, this year we opted to adopt the Carlow Institute of Technology and St. James Hospital, Dublin and to present to them our purchases of the year which are on view
for you this evening. Already the CIT has formed its committee for the purchase of paintings where before we became involved with it in 2006 it did not possess a single painting other then a few portraits. St James Hospital had its committee but its resources are slim and we decided it would be a worthy recipient. The great numbers of citizens who attend both institutions are now being influenced, distracted or uplifted through your yearly contributions to the Society. Our current paid up memberships for 2007 stands at 153 with another eleven who are corporate member (AIB, Anglo Irish Bank, AXA, Central Bank, Collen Group, Dublin Dental Hospital, A&L Goodbody Sol., Nissan Ireland, Scott Tallon Walker,
Carlow Institute and The OPW). Of course, there will be others whose payments will arrive late and will add to that number.
Eight works of art were purchased during the year 2005:
Proof 14 by Corlin Murray
Flower Series Detail no. 3 by Nigel Rolfe
Glass House II by Ruth McHugh
Shoreline III by Ger Sweeney
Local Ground Bog Cotton III by Bernadette Kiely
Angels & Guardians no & by Sonya Lansweer
Dublin XI by Mary Theresa Keown
Winter Marking by Campbell Bruce.
These were distributed or are being distributed tonight to the Crawford Gallery Cork, The City Gallery Limerick, and the Head-Office of Carlow County Council, St. James Hospital and Carlow Institute of Technology. The purchasing committee last year comprised Campbell Bruce, Robert Mooney and I. This year you have acting for you in this regard Robert Mooney, Dr. Brenda Moore-McCann and I.
In 2006 we had twelve outings all of which were well attended:
IMMA in January as well as the Department of Education; Robert and Carmel Mooney received us in their home in February and Carmel brought us into the inner Sanctuary of her studio; We travelled to Limerick for EV+A in March; Patricia Tsouros showed us her collection in April; The AGM was held here in IMI in June and we also visited the New Gallery at Farmeigh; In July we were brought around the Patrick Ireland Exhibition in The Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane by Dr. Brenda Moore-McCann and in August we visited Aras an Uachtarain. Robert Ballagh conducted us through his retrospective at the RHA in September and in November the Director, Barbra Dawson, showed us over the New Extension to the Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane.
We are extremely grateful to all of those who gave of their time, their insights, their experience and their hospitality on each of those occasions. Almost 500 heads were counted attending those events. Tonight is our fifth event this year and you already have notice of next month's visit to the Docklands. Later, in July, we will issue notice of what is to come – I’ll get around to working on it later this month. I would appreciate any suggestions the members might propose and any invitation will be welcomed and considered very seriously. Communication is also effected with you through, the News Letter which Robert edits and produces and through the Website which is now updated by Brian. We are grateful to them both for their labours.
We have commissioned Gold pins with the 99 motif of the CIAS from goldsmith Joan Gelletlie of Wicklow Town, in 9 carat gold wire twisted to form that motif. They are available almost at cost at 60 euro each. I wish to thank all the members of the council for their good work during the year.
During 2006 Adrienne took over from Robert the responsibility of maintaining our accounts and we are very grateful to her for undertaking the considerable labour that involves.
Your council has co-opted Mary Tuohy to bolster their members and to contribute of
her extensive experience in and her great enthusiasm for the visual arts. The election for the future will take place under item 3. There are two more places available beyond what are currently occupied but are subject to re-election. There has been one volunteer duly proposed and expressing her willingness to go forward and she and the present members will be considerable for election in due course. I would ask you to stand for a moments silence in memory of two of our members who died recently and who contributed greatly to the CIAS and to the promotion of contemporary Art in Ireland, especially Vincent Ferguson and Jim McNaughton.
Thank you for your presence and your attention.
Frank X. Buckley Chairman.
