Abbey Group Exhibition

Abbey Gallery, Dominic Street, Drogheda, Co. Louth.

Wednesday 30^th November to Tuesday 7^th February 2012

Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm

Drogheda, Co. Louth – Abbey Gallery is pleased to announce Abbey Group Exhibition, a collection of over 50 pieces of works, many by established artists and also some work by emerging artists.  The gallery will transform into a veritable “pictorial wonderland” that will tingle your imagination and delight your eyes.  The exhibition was opened on Wednesday 30^th November by John McCullen, author and local historian.  The exhibition will be on display through February 7^th, 2012 and is free and open to the public.  Exhibiting artists include: Stephen Doyle, Peter Gibney, Ian Hart, Jackie Hudson Lalor, Margaret Kennedy, Patrick Murphy, Barbara Pepper and Kathleen Smyth.

In conjunction with “Abbey Group Exhibition”, Drogheda Homeless Aid’s Urgent Food Appeal Collection will take place on the opening night and run for the duration of the show.  Due to increasing demand for their services, they are finding it difficult to sustain their food services.  They currently provide over 1,000 meals every week for their residents, resettled residents and for people who are living in poverty.  The gallery is collecting donations of non-perishable food items for this very worthy cause.

Located on Dominic Street, Drogheda, Abbey Gallery was opened by local business people Erin and Ray O’Connor and under the guidance of artistic director and curator, Sinéad Smith and patron to the arts Martin Walsh the gallery has quickly become one of Drogheda’s most exciting and attractive destinations for art.  Abbey Gallery showcases talent-driven art by Drogheda’s top emerging and established artists.  The gallery is a valuable resource for the area, not just for the artists but for the public also, as it gives a chance to see many different styles of art and a chance to meet and talk to the artists at opening evenings, helping to give an understanding of the commitment it takes to be an artist in these times.  You can visit Abbey Gallery Monday through Saturday 10am – 5pm or visit us online at www.abbeygallerydrogheda.com.

The Forge Gallery is now proud to present Alan’s most recent collection of paintings which will be on display at the Gallery from November 11th.

Alan will formally launch his latest collection on Friday November 11th at the Gallery from 7pm onwards.

Anyone interested in viewing the paintings are more than welcome to come along to the free wine reception from 7pm onwards on Friday 11th.

Alan Bradshaw – A Biography

Alan Bradshaw was born in Belfast in 1936. During his formative years he painted prodigiously in both oil and watercolour media. In his early twenties a discussion with Maurice Wilks (a family friend) persuaded him to turn his artistic talents towards architecture—”get professional letters after your name young man—the life of a full time artist is far from clever!” Given this advice, Bradshaw qualified as an architect from the Architectural Association, London.

Throughout his busy professional career, although he was committed to improving the environment and circumstances in which people live and work, he never lost sight of his first love—painting. 1992 and for the first time, he permitted his wife, Annette, to exhibit some of his work in the McGilloway Gallery, Derry—with immediate and dramatic results. During the next two years and via six major group exhibitions he firmly established himself by being the most successful painter despite serious competition from seasoned and nationally recognised artists. The steady increase in demand for his work, resulted in him taking early retirement in June, 1995 so that he could devote all his time and energy to painting. He presently works from a home based studio in Omagh, Co. Tyrone.

Bradshaw’s motivation to paint stems from his great love of the natural world and the unique and ever changing nature of the Irish countryside throughout each day and from season to season. While his primary concern is to portray the moods of Ireland in a realistic and unpretentious manner—his interest in sunlight, both direct and indirect and the way in which it variously affects everything, can also be found in his still life and interior paintings. He views his efforts as a painter as a direct link with his maternal grandmother—a Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow lady who was, by reputation, an artist of very considerable talent.

In March, 1996, Bradshaw was lead painter in a “No Boundaries” exhibition staged in City Hall, Boston. U.S.A. at the request of the then major—Mr. Thomas Menino. The purpose of the event was to promote the attractions and great beauty of the N.W. Region of Ireland in furtherance of the peace process and as portrayed through the eyes of local cross border/cross community artists. This was the fourth in a series of “No Boundaries” exhibitions that he and his wife were instrumental in organising in association with a Donegal gallery and the American Embassy, Dublin.

He currently paints in oil, watercolour and acrylic media and has held tutorials for mature students. During the last ten years, Gallery demands for his work have resulted in him staging fourteen solo exhibitions – eight of which have been for the Forge Gallery Restaurant, Collon, Co. Louth. He has also exhibited four times in U.S.A. and, last year, in Boston all his works were sold at the Exhibition opening.

Bradshaw paintings can be found in private collections throughout Ireland, Europe, U.S.A., Canada and much further afield. He has been commissioned by Derry, Limavady, Strabane, Omagh and Donegal Councils to paint for either their Municipal Collections or for presentation to local or visiting VIP’s.

Alan is now proud to present his most recent collection of paintings which will be on display from 11^th November at the Forge Gallery at which there will be a formal launch of the Collection at a wine reception from 7pm onwards. You are cordially invited to send a representative.

This will be Alan’s first exhibition in quite a while and it promises to demonstrate the continued growth and development of his work.

Enquiries to Kevin Smith at the Forge Gallery on 041-9826272 or e-mail: info@forgegallery.ie