Dis-ability … This - Ability exhibition opens at Tramore
Coastguard Cultural Centre on Saturday 12th of November, at 3 pm.
Senator Grace O’Sullivan and Artist and Writer Corina Duyn will introduce the
works and story behind the Puppets, Poetry, Paintings, Postcards and Books. All
are welcome.
The exhibition runs until the 1st December.
Members of the Irish
Wheelchair Association’s (IWA) Dungarvan Resource Centre will be sharing their
creative work during a three week long exhibition at the Tramore Coastguard Cultural
Centre. Although they all live with disability or chronic illness, they would
like to bring the focus away from ‘dis’, and focus on their ‘Ability’. This - Ability.
At times society’s
image of a person with a disability is someone who does not have much of a role
to play in the world. They are labeled dis-abled (dis = taking something away)
and are put into the ‘Disability Box’. The lid firmly closed…
With this exhibition,
and talk on the opening day, they hope to challenge this view a little.
 |
Aerial © Corina Duyn 2014
This sculpture led to the
puppet project |
About ten people of
various abilities attend the Resource Centre on a twice-weekly basis. Two years
ago Artist and writer Corina Duyn joined the group, where IWA staff assisted
her with the making of her sculptures. These whimsical creatures emerging from
air-drying clay got the interest of fellow members and staff alike. In early
2015 she was asked if, by any chance, she could teach this art. This was the
start of what is now fondly known as the Life
Outside the Box Puppet Project.
With financial support
from Create – Artist in the Community Scheme, the group created nine puppets
from scratch and a scrapbook chronicling the process. The workshops were filled
with laughter as the puppets took on their ultimate personality. At the end of
the eight-month project, the puppets were filmed as they ventured out of
Society’s Disability Box.
These puppets and
their travel boxes, passports and suitcases will be on show during the
exhibition, but are not for sale. However they (and their makers) are available
to visit schools or other groups to talk about the experience of life with
disability.
What is for sale
however is the wonderful Life Outside the
Box book/DVD, blank notebooks with fun images of the puppets out in the world, and bookmarks. Proceeds from these
will fund further Puppet adventures or art projects.
 |
one of the covers of the ten blank notebooks
on sale at the exhibition |
Since this project the
group embarked on a papermaking workshop with Artist Tunde Toth. A selection of
these Paper Art pieces is for sale.
Other works included
in the exhibition are by individual members: Locally themed paintings by
Westtown-Tramore born Pat Coffey, and beautiful beaded and embroidered greeting
cards by Kill resident Ann O’Grady. Corina Duyn will showcase her art, prints,
postcards and books, including Into the
Light, which was recently shortlisted for CAP Independent Publishing Award.
Stradbally’s Amy Fitzgerald, author of The Freedom To Fly, will
share her powerful poems/verses with positivity
and motivational themes as framed pieces, and Christmas themed poems for
friends and family. Also some unusual Christmas Cards available, so there is something
for everybody!
Please join in the
celebration of the Abilities of this diverse group of people.
The exhibition runs
until the 1st December.
