Ann Lawlor, Creative Ireland Laois project manager; artists, from left: Ashling Hennessy, Antoinette Breen, Mike Rafter, Kate Deegan, Ray Murphy, Mark Fisher, Kevin McCann, Pauline Conroy and Bronagh Conroy (missing from picture is Alan Scully); Dunamaise Arts Centre director Michelle De Forge and Ruth Coppinger who opened the exhibition at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council.
Picture: Alf Harvey.
The Fadó Faces exhibition, which recently opened at Dunamaise Arts Centre, celebrates the lives and stories of older people in County Laois.
This is done through traditional portrait painting and digital art by a selection of local artists: Bronagh Conroy, Aishling Hennessy, Ray Murphy, Kevin McCann, Mike Rafter, Pauline Conroy, Antoinette Breen, Kate Deegan, Allen Scully, and Mark Fisher.
It is part of the Creative Ireland Laois – Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by the Creative Ireland Programme – Creativity in Older Age fund in partnership with Laois County Council Arts Office, and Dunamaise Arts Centre.
Artist, Kevin McCann the creator and driving force of the Fadó Faces project said: “The earliest memory I have of painting is at the age of 5, and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Over the last years I’ve just got more and more into painting people. Fadó Faces brings together the faces of older people in our county.
I’m very happy that myself and the nine other exhibiting artists in our 2022 exhibition can yet again pay homage to the lives of our sitters, with portraiture as the genre used to connect the artists to their subjects, and working in portraiture enables the artworks to reflect a variety in style, medium and composition.”
The artists photographed and recorded stories from each of their subjects. The stories and experiences of people growing up in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s shedding light on the vast differences to people growing up in the 21st century. The exhibition is a creative and unique way to tell & preserve these stories.
Laois Arts Officer and Creative Ireland Coordinator, Muireann Ni Chonaill said: “The Fadó Faces exhibition is a unique experience where you may happen upon one of your neighbours or perhaps an acquaintance, or a complete stranger from another part of the county.
It is meaningful as you look at their portraits and read their stories and connect with them through their lived experiences, whether it is about joys, loss or memories. It is well worth taking the time to visit this exhibition and appreciate the lives well lived, the strength and resilience of the portrait subjects.
Full credit is due to the Fadó Faces artist group and the older adults that participated in the second year of this important and thoughtful exhibition.”
‘The Fadó Faces’ exhibition began in 2021 with an outdoor drive-by art exhibition. The aim is to continue this series over five years until 2025. The project will by then have engaged with one hundred older people in Laois – culminating in a rich and diverse archive celebrating the lives and valuable stories of people within our community.
Director of Dunamaise Arts Centre, Michelle de Forge said: “We at the Dunamaise are delighted to host this reflective exhibition on older people in Laois as part of our 2022 exhibitions programme.
It is a triumph to celebrate the work of the twenty exhibiting artists as well as the portrait sitters who reside across the county, including: Ann Terret (Monasterevin) painted by Bronagh Conroy; Patsy O’Rourke (Cavansheath, Ballyfin), painted by Mark Fisher; Lar Payne (Mountmellick), painted by Kevin McCann, and Anna Hennessy (Portlaoise) painted by her granddaughter, Aishling Hennessey.
One of the sitters Jack Lowry was painted by his neighbour Antoinette Breen and told me that he is ninety-nine next birthday, and that he hardly recognised himself in the finished portrait, but is very delighted with it, and having the opportunity to attend his first ever art exhibition!”
As part of the Creative Ireland Laois’s Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, a Live Sketching workshop with an older adult/sitter facilitated by Allen Scully of Fadó Faces will take place in the Gallery at Dunamaise Arts Centre on Friday Sept 23, 6-7.30pm for Culture Night.
The workshop is for artists/creatives of all ages and levels of experience. Bring your own materials and tools, e.g. sketchbook, paper, pencils, etc, and enjoy ninety minutes of live sketching with the sitter providing a number of different poses to observe and engage with.
Booking is essential as places are limited, call Dunamaise Arts Centre on 057 866 3355 or email info@dunamaise.ie
The Fadó Faces exhibition is on until Friday Sept 30 at Dunamaise Arts Centre – gallery opening times: Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.
The artists, from left: Ashling Hennessy, Antoinette Breen, Mike Rafter, Kate Deegan, Ray Murphy, Mark Fisher, Kevin McCann, Pauline Conroy and Bronagh Conroy (missing from picture is Alan Scully) at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Ann Lawlor, Creative Ireland Laois project manager; artists, from left: Ashling Hennessy, Antoinette Breen, Mike Rafter, Kate Deegan, Ray Murphy, Mark Fisher, Kevin McCann, Pauline Conroy and Bronagh Conroy (missing from picture is Alan Scully); Dunamaise Arts Centre director Michelle De Forge and Ruth Coppinger who opened the exhibition at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Jack Lowry and and Martin Cuddy at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Patsy and Betty O’Rourke with granddaughter Chloe Keating and Patsy’s portrrait by Mark Fisher at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Arthur and Assumpta Broomfield with Assumpta’s portrait by Kevin McCann at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Ann Terrett and Sheila Connell with Ann’s portrait by Bronagh Conroy at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Billy Kelly and Paula and Lucy Kelly with Billy’s portrait by Aishling Hennessy at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.With Jack Lowry’s portrait are Artist Antoinette Breen; Jack and Nora Lowry; Martin and Catherine Lowry and Margaret and Orla Lowry-Hayes at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Antoinette Breen and Jack and Nora Lowry with Jack’s portrait at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Pauline Conroy with Eileen McFadden and Eileen’s portrait at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.John Brophy with his family and his portrait by Alan Scully at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Hubert, Aidan, Kate (artist); Rose and Jenny Deegan with Hubert’s portrait by Kate Deegan at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Aishling Hennessy with Billy Kelly and his portrait at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Ashling Hennessy, Anna Hennessy, Fintan Hennessy and Dylan Phelan with Anna’s portrait at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Patsy O’Rourke with artist Mark Fisher and Patsy’s portrait at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Mike Rafter with Martin Cuddy and Sheila Connell and their portraits at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Antoinette Breen and Mai Lynch with her portrait at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Ann Fennell with her portrait by Alan Scully and Ollie, Lucy, Ellie and Neil Fennell at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Pauline Conroy with Tom McCann and Tom’s portrait at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.Artist Ray Murphy with his work at the opening of Fadó Faces at Dunamaise Arts Centre. The exhibition is part of the Laois Creativity in Older Age 2022 initiative, supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council. Picture: Alf Harvey.
