BEAUTIFUL works and concepts can exist anywhere. The spare environs of Raheen Industrial Estate is case in point, where students at the National Learning Network (NLN), a third level education site for adults with learning disability, have moved to create Spectrum.
Spectrum is the group show of art works, video and photography made by the 30 students based at the Network who since September, have taken regular tours, workshops and classes at Limerick City Gallery of Art.
Education and outreach curator at the Pery Square gallery, Aoibheann McCarthy paid a visit out to the Raheen base to find “art covering their walls but there was neither space nor materials to expand further”. She began a series of artist-led workshops with the 30 Network students at Pery Square, working with their main co-ordinator Carmel Hanley and other staff to bring students in bus by bus from September 2012 to now.
The focus was for the young adults to attach to works at Limerick City Gallery of Art and create their own response to them, using a plethora of materials and professionally taught techniques.
Tours of changing exhibitions and art exploration completed their instruction and a Spectrum of art has emerged, showing this week.
“Eoin Barry worked with them on silk screening. We house the UL Self-Portrait collection here and Amanda Milnes worked predominantly on that with them. Peter Byrne, a street based artist, did grafitti stencilling and I led some workshops myself”.
Mixed media used included sketching, monoprint, stencil and spray paint; progress was videoed and photographed.
“City of Limerick VEC has recognised the work and talent and will credit the course with FETAC 3, which we are very happy about. Also, to see the students engage with the city, to see how their ability to express their opinions and their change in confidence has been great. Spectrum has done them a huge amount of good”.
