The Gleann na hEorna ‘Per Cent For Art’ Project in Tallaght, kicked off on Thursday 24th January 2014. This art project involves activities such as stained glass window design and creative vinyl window installations. The first workshop was a great success and well attended by residents from the locality.
The Per Cent For Art Scheme is a government initiative, first introduced in 1988, whereby 1% of the cost of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development can be allocated to the commissioning of a work of art. This Art Project was picked for the Gleann na hEorna estate through a proposal submitted, under the Per Cent For Art Scheme, by artists Jo Chapman and Bianca Divito.
Their proposal was based around the works of a local poet Katherine Tynan and the estate name Gleann na hEorna (Barley Glen). This estates name was taken from Katherine Tynan poem “The Wind That Shakes the Barley”. The artwork for this project will include a large wall installation, an installation to one of the gates on the estate and a stain glass window in the community building.
Part of the projects overall objective is to encourage community engagement. This engagement will initially take the form of workshops run in the estates community building by the artists. The workshops will help tease out ideas, from participants, with regard to the various elements to be used in the final installations. It is hoped that this kind of interaction will help bring residents within the community closer together.
This initial workshop involved three activities:
- Stained glass – Design.
- Vinyl Window installation – Drawing onto clear vinyl and cutting out coloured vinyl, inspired by barley and natural forms. Linking with the stain glass element of the workshop.
- Scrap poetry – inspired by Kathleen Tynan poems.
Other workshops are being planned for later in the year. Workshops for some of the programme will be held in Rua Red, Tallaght Community Arts Centre which will continue to create links with our local community.
Artist websites: www.jochapmanart.co.uk & www.biancadivito.com