The Annual Wexford Lions Club Exhibition is currently on display in the lower and upper galleries at Wexford Arts Centre. This exhibition wasofficially opened by guest adjudicator, Fine Art Painter & Sky Portrait Artist of the Year contestant, 2021, Rory Draper.
The Annual Wexford Lions Club Exhibition celebrates local talent and offers a platform for artists who are at various stages of their careers as well as those with an interest in art who wish to see their work realised within a gallery context. For this reason, it is an important show within the Wexford Arts Centre’s visual arts programme. The Exhibition will be on view from Saturday 13th January – Friday 9th February 2024.
As a result of the tremendous success of last year’s show and the remarkably high-quality of work received, the theme for the 2024 Lions Club exhibition has again been left entirely open. The open brief allows participants the freedom to create exciting and original artwork, and to tell their own stories. These stories or experiences can be related through a varied range of subjects such as urban and rural narratives, abstraction, and even pure imagination.
Mark Zanker Storm Clouds over Wexford
Also, this year we will again feature the Young Lions gallery, dedicated exclusively to the work of young, budding artists. Young artists are encouraged to experiment with all types of mediums and objects – paints, glitter, buttons, transfers; Lego…the list is endless. As the Lions Club International celebrated its centenary in 2017, a Perpetual Children’s Trophy will be awarded again this year to a Young Lion for a work that explores the history and/or reflects on the aims and overall ethos of the organisation.
Wexford Lions Club has served the community of Wexford since 1979 and provides support to the local community. This support may be monetary, such as food vouchers at Christmas for families and individuals in need, or by giving their time to assist community projects such as The Trabolgan Holiday Project, The Message in a Bottle Project and the Carer’s Weekend Project, a project where carers are treated to a weekend in Ballyvaloo Centre and are provided with counsellors, reflexologists, and motivational speakers.
Wexford Arts Centre & Wexford Lions Club would like to thank Spectrum Art & Framing, Helen McClean and Wexford County Council for their ongoing and generous support of this exhibition. For further information on the exhibition please contact Visual Arts Manager, Lisa Byrne via email lisa@wexfordartscentre.ie.
Megan Ruane Mam
More about this year’s adjudicator
Rory Draper is an emerging visual artist and painter, originally based in Dublin, London, and Madrid, now living and working in county Wexford. Rory reengaged with his art practice after a break from teaching and began to make and exhibit work after returning home from London which culminated in an artist’s residency pilot scheme at Presentation Arts Centre Enniscorthy.
After taking part in the Sky Portrait artist of the year (2021) Rory presented his first solo show of work post lockdown in 2022, ‘Breaking the Bubble ‘, with the Presentation Art Centre, in conjunction with First Fortnight, the European Mental Health Charity. Rory has since exhibited his documentary style oil paintings and drawings nationally and internationally seeking to engage with diverse communities across Europe.
Rory has been awarded grant aid from Arts Council of Ireland, Agility Award (‘22/’23) which have been vital assets in supporting the ongoing development of his practice.
Rory is focused on the creation of new work and in researching LGBTQIA+ spaces across the world from his studio in Enniscorthy, seeking to promote their importance. Rory also facilitates commissions and studio tours. Rory’s studio is open to visitors by appointment. Please contact hello@presentationcentre.ie for more information.
Lions Club Awards Winners 2023
Wexford Arts Centre would like to thank our sponsors and partners, Spectrum Art & Framing, Helen McLean and Wexford Co. Council, along with all the team at Wexford Arts Centre for bringing this show to life.
