East Galway Art Trail continues

East Galway Art Trail continues with further exhibitions in Ballinsloe and Portumna libraries. This is an innovative idea that is concerned with art awareness and library awareness. Its objective is to bring art and artists into the community by using the space available in rural libraries. These artists are working and living within communities. The collaboration of artists and libraries can be of great benefit to the public for the enjoyment of art and library’s facilities. It is also of benefit to local schools for leaving cert and junior cert students and teachers. It is an opportunity to engage with contemporary art, artists and literature. The art trail aims to make art accessible to everyone in the community; that is the intention that Galway County Library staff, who are based in the East Galway area, and Joyce Little, a local Ballinasloe artist, had when they worked together to bring this project to realization.

Ciaran Óg Arnold, is a Ballinasloe artist and studied in G.M.I.T, Griffith College Dublin and NUI. He has spent the majority of the last ten years working as a freelance photographer and graphic designer. For a time he worked as a commercial photographer with a successful studio in Galway. He has also been involved in various documentary projects (video) and has directed two music videos. 4 years ago he decided to leave the world of commercial photography and focus on his more personal and artistic ambitions. He has been published in source photographic review and had an exhibition in the gallery of photography temple bar in summer 08
Ciaran Óg Arnold, joint exhibition, EDBallinasloe/Ballinasloe Library, 1st April, 7.30pm. and will run for two weeks. Ballinasloe librarian: Mary Dillon, Colette Hanrahan, Brid Grehan and Maura Croffy

Una Spain is a Ballinasloe artist and has a background in fine art (Painting) and is currently in her final semester of the four year (Hons) Degree programme in Photography in DIT. The body of work presented in this exhibition is based on specific sites which the artist considers significant, not just in local terms, but also could be considered as being representative of larger national and global considerations per say. Observing the recent changes that have taken place in society as a whole, these images are representative of an acknowledgement by the artist of these sites, and operate as visual links to that which went before. The effects of time itself is documented within these spaces and the body of work as a whole is designed to be evocative. The photographs ultimately function, as what David Campany refers to, as being ‘traces of traces'
Una Spain , joint exhibition Ballinasloe Library, 1st April, 7.30pm. and will run for two weeks. Ballinasloe librarian: Mary Dillon, Colette Hanrahan, Brid Grehan and Maura Croffy.

Áine Flanagan, is a Craughwell artist. She graduated from G.M.I.T. and is a Textile artist. Her exhibition is called ` Kimono`. The artist sees the Kimono as wearable piece of art and has created a series of designs for the kimono. Her inspiration comes from the environment surrounding the artist in East Galway . The pieces are created with dupion silk and are hand dyed, she uses the sewing machine as her pencil.
Áine Flanagan, solo exhibition, Portumna Library, 8th April, 7.30pm. and will run for two weeks .
Portumna Librarian:Teresa Tierney, Louise Harte.