New artwork on show at FE McWilliam

Arriving for the Friends of FE McWilliam Christmas party are Jasper McKinney(Programme Committee) , Rhiann Coulter (Curator), Fionnuala Cook (Chair), Deirdre Quail (Treasurer) and Artist Kevin Killen ©Edward Byrne Photography INBL1549-232EB

Over fifty members of the Friends Group, and guests, gathered to celebrate a great year of fundraising and support for the Gallery.

The evening was also an ideal occasion to mark the unveiling of artist Kevin Killen’s new site specific neon art work entitled, ‘A1’ which is on display at the entrance to the Gallery

Each year, the Friends of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery use membership fees and fundraising to support the work of the Gallery.

This year the Friends raised £1180 to allow 300 children from local Primary Schools to travel to the ‘Virtually There’ exhibition which showcased artwork created by artists, children and teachers through online residencies, and to participate in artist-led workshops.

The Friends also raised a further £982 to contribute towards the purchase of F.E. McWilliam’s, ‘Maquette for Princess Macha’, for the Gallery’s permanent collection.

Kevin Killen’s new neon installation is based on the artist’s long exposure photographs of traffic travelling at night from the A1 towards the Gallery. Based in Loughinisland, Co. Down, Killen exhibited one of his first neon works at the F.E. McWilliam Gallery in 2010 in the exhibition ‘A Walk through a Sculptor’s Garden’.

Since then, he has developed this area of his practice to include wall based pieces and floor based sculptural installations as well as collaborations with the dancer and choreographer, David Ogle, and a two-man exhibition with painter Clement McAleer. ‘A1 to F.E. McWilliam Gallery’ will be on display throughout the winter.