WIDDESS Pharmacy had sold five paintings to bank in excess of €1000 prior to Roches Street Traders Art Festival being launched on Monday last. Even as Barry Murphy and Keith Earls filed in to Eve’s with Mayor Maria Byrne (contributing artist), the tills were alive with the sound of sales from a pool of 50 artists.
James Walsh of Fine Wines poured as flush feelings flowed. “We raised €6,000 to €7,000 last year and have raised more than €100,000 for charity in our nine years of the festival,” Michael Murphy of the traders’ committee told Limerick Post.
“We hope to do as well this time around. It has been a very tough year for the street and this is a good news story for Limerick of artists, traders and the public coming together”.
Look around to cherry-pick your painting. Mortell’s Restaurant is host to Kate Hennessy’s African themes; Just Split has Jack Donovan, David Lilburn, Peter Blodau and Deiter Blodau; Jim O’Farrell is at the late, loved Betty McDonagh’s grocery; Pádraig O’Callaghan is at Shannon Wholesale and Duggan’s Glass, and Lawless Flowers is host to Helen Stritch and Nancy Lawless.
As Maria Byrne said in her address to the artists and retail merchants: “Roches Street has always been to the fore in making things come together”. She expressed her own and the city’s appreciation for work done by benefiting charities Milford Care Centre and especially St Gabriel’s Centre, on whose development board she sits.
Michael Murphy, committee chair, made special mention of Tom Greaney, Nora Hurley, Una Heaton and Cathy O’Donovan who donated works outright for sale or auction; Greaney’s landscape had drawn a €700 bid already.
We can stroll by windows and through premises until Saturday 18 to view art priced from €20 (Bea Gibson) to Donovan’s €four figure clowns.
