Celebrated Irish artist Mick O’Dea’s highly anticipated exhibition, ‘Divided Loyalties’, will interest historians and art lovers alike, when it opens on Friday, 8th December, at 6:00pm at glór in Ennis.
The launch event will feature an opening address by Professor Kevin Whelan, one of Ireland’s most distinguished and widely published scholars.
As part of Clare County Council’s Decade of Centenaries programme, ‘Divided Loyalties’ presents a compelling collection of O’Dea’s works, showcasing his profound interest in the Decade of Centenaries period.
Mick O’Dea, born in Ennis in 1958, is a distinguished artist with a rich background, having studied at prestigious institutions such as the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst among others. With a career spanning several decades, O’Dea has exhibited extensively and received numerous awards, including the Ireland US Council/Irish Arts Review Portraiture Award and the Royal Ulster Academy Portrait Prize.
The exhibition will be on display at the glór gallery, located upstairs, until Saturday, 13th January, 2024. Visitors to the exhibition can also enjoy an artist’s tour of the exhibition on Saturday, 9th December 2023, at 10:30am.
A screening of two films – ‘The Battlefield’ by Emile Dinneen and ‘The Ballad of the Crimson Warrior’ by Mike Hanrahan, followed by a Q&A session with Mick, Emile and Mike, will take place after the artist’s tour.
Clare Libraries County Librarian, Helen Walsh, stated, “The artist’s deep engagement with the Decade of Centenaries period is evident in ‘Divided Loyalties’, providing a unique perspective on this pivotal time in Irish history.”
Decade of Centenaries Coordinator and Senior Executive Librarian, Dolores Meaney, added, “Culture and creativity helps us to connect with history and understand our role in it. We extend a warm invitation to all to explore these seminal works, providing a nuanced perspective on a tumultuous chapter in Irish history.”
This cultural initiative is made possible with the support of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the Decade of Centenaries programme.
All events are free, and all are welcome to attend.
For further information, please contact decadeofcentenaries@clarecoco.ie or visit the Decade of Centenaries webpage at https://www.clarelibrary.ie/