Visual Art: 2023 Cornerstones Linenhall Arts Centre – Community Gallery

Exploration and creativity are at the heart of the Luisne Art Project, which provides a long-term arts project for people with intellectual disabilities from Crannmór Centre, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.

CORNERSTONES is the culmination of creative projects that took place throughout 2023, the exhibition is running through until 19 December 2023 at Linenhall Art Project Centre, entry is free no booking required. 

The Luisne Art Project is an arts and disability programme developed for members of The Crann Mór Centre, Ballinrobe who meet weekly for facilitated workshops at the Tacú Family Resource Centre, Ballinrobe. The workshops are facilitated by artist Breda Murphy.

The project was developed in 2005 by a group of artists in collaboration with The Crann Mór Centre, Ballinrobe. The aim of the programme has been to establish a long term art project of quality which responds to the talents and needs of the participants of the centre. It recognises the importance of art and creativity as a positive and powerful force in the lives of the individuals.

Drawing has been the cornerstone of the work throughout the year. Luisne artists have explored different techniques and the resulting work centres around an animation that was initiated by their new drawings. The artwork was made in the Luisne art studio in TACÚ Family Resource Centre with artist facilitators Breda Burns and Pamela Grey.

Earlier in the year, insects became a subject of choice through conversation and art making. These ideas were developed for Dúiseacht, an exploration of Springtime and awakening for Onsight 2023 at The National Museum of Country Life.

Subsequently, this led to the development of stop motion/animation pieces, which are part of the Cornerstones exhibition.

Artist Breda Burns has been working with the Luisne artists since 2021. She was involved in the initial project which led to the setting up of Luisne in 2005.

Artist Pam Gray has also been working on several projects with Luisne in 2022/23, the MSLETB drawing project, Onsight 2023 and UPSTART 2023.

Luisne is also celebrating the launch of the new website www.artluisne.ie which showcases artwork by the artists dating back to the project’s beginnings in 2005 and up to the present day.

The Cornerston artists are: Aisling Walsh, Collette Moran, Eoin Karney, Gerardine McDonagh, John Walsh, Mairead Coyne and Triona McAveety.