LIMERICK Printmakers at 20 years is celebrating not just its art, but its involvement in Limerick’s community. An exhibition, which looks to the future as much as it embraces the group’s past, shows they have their eyes fixed on another two decades.
“Coming off our central thing of having the studio, we host a lot of other programmes,” explains Jess Tobin, studio manager and including youth and adult workshops.
Tobin explains that the “well-developed community engagement programme” sees Limerick Printmakers take part in community-led activities.
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“We’ve appeared on Bedford Row for the last few Christmases, which has been great. People can rock up and print a Christmas card and take it home, and they’ve made a little print of their own.”
“We really feel, as we are obviously a fine-art printmaking studio, we’re also embedded in Limerick.”
It is this drive, Jess Tobin believes, that breaks down the view that art can be elitist – “Limerick Printmakers is very egalitarian, and very hands on.”
Limerick Printmakers have brought their vibrant colours to the Hunt Museum with an aptly named ‘LP at 20’ featuring studio members past and present.
“We toyed with the idea of doing a retrospective, a look back at the 20 years,” Jess told the Limerick Post, “but we said ‘no, why not ask people to make new work?’”
“It’s large scale, it’s ambitious,” she comments, reflecting on the 23 artists who took part in the exhibition.
“Also, it is kind of a good reflection of printmaking in and of itself, and the studio because within our membership cohort you have everyone from recent graduates, and undergraduates, right up to people who are very established printmakers and well-known artists.”
‘LP at 20’ current until April 22 at The Hunt Museum. To listen to Jess Tobin’s full WeAreLimerick Podcast episode, scan the QR code.
