Public art workshops announced for central Mayo communities

Artist James Winnett will return to Mayo in July for a second week of community engagement with communities in Islandeady, Breaffy, Turlough and Parke.

James is the artist commissioned for the N5 Westport to Turlough road project – The Touchstones – which will consist of a series of intricately carved stones located in Islandeady, Breaffy and Turlough/Parke.

Each community will have its own distinctive artwork(s), incorporating imagery, narrative carving and text that will reflect the distinct character and qualities of the area where they are sited.

As part of the project, James is undertaking research in each area, getting to the know the people and stories that have shaped its past and present. Through community engagement, he will identify key themes, interests and ideas in each area that will inform the content and design of the final artworks.

James will be running meet the artist and stone carving workshops from July 4 to 6. The schedule of workshops is as follows: Islandeady – Tuesday, July 4, 4.30 to 6.30 p.m., Islandeady Community Centre; Turlough and Parke – Wednesday, July 5, 6 to 8 p.m., Turlough Community Centre; Breaffy – Thursday, July 6, 5 to 7 p.m., Breaffy National School.

Locals are welcome to come along and meet the artist. This will be an opportunity to learn about his artwork, share your ideas for the project, and have a go at carving your own mini sculpture.

James is interested in meeting locals and learning more about each area's history, folklore and stories. He will be sharing his ideas and possible themes for the project and discussing potential locations for the artworks.

The artist had a very successful week of community engagement in May. He gave a presentation to each community on his arts practice, process and research so far, followed by a soapstone workshop where participants got to carve their own soapstone. James also ran a workshop with Parke Young at Heart Club and Turlough Foróige Club.

As part of his research, James also visited local heritage sites and explored the local landscape. Great hospitality and enthusiasm was shown by all communities, and James is looking forward to meeting more community members during the workshop in July.

“Over the coming months I'll be exploring the distinct identities of each area, gathering stories and deepening my understanding of the way that people have related to these landscapes over time. I've always been interested in the way that stories and memory reside in a place and in thinking about how a series of artworks might promote moments of curiosity and connection. It's a great project to be a part of and I'm excited to see how it develops.”

Workshop attendees should be aged over 12. All locals are welcome. No need to book, just come along.

This project is part of Mayo County Council’s Public Art Programme, funded under the Per Cent for Art Scheme by Transport Infrastructure Ireland as part of the N5 Westport to Turlough road project and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.