Published on: Tuesday, 09 March 2010

Backwater TWENTY - 10 celebrates 20 years of the Backwater Artists Group – an artist-led organisation based in Cork City who are dedicated to improving the working conditions and support structures for visual artists. The exhibition, opened by Minister Martin Cullen T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on 12th March, runs until 10th April. The exhibition features over 160 pieces of work from 120 artists, many of whom are Crawford graduates, and some are current members of staff, including Megan Eustace, Leo McCann and Catherine Hehir.

Curated by Stephen Brandes and Vera Ryan, over 120 artists feature in this exhibition, each of whom have worked within the Backwater Studios whether through the six-month Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary; a project based studio residency or artists who enjoy full time membership.

Founded in 1990 by graduates of the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork, Backwater Artists Group has 27 studios facilitating merging artists and established artists in providing secure, well-equipped studio spaces as well as support structures for professional art practice. Both individually and collectively the numerous artists who have worked within Backwater Studios over the last twenty years have made a formidable and dynamic contribution to the arts both locally, nationally and internationally.

The exhibition covers three floors of the Crawford Gallery and celebrates the success of the last 20 years of Backwater Artists Group and looks forward expectantly to the next.

Artists:

John Adams, Ellen Barrett, Sineád Barry, Simon Bennett, Stephen Brandes, Gemma Browne, Caroline Buggy, Brendan Butler, Patricia Burns, Alannah Byrne, Tom Campbell, Mark Clare, Elaine Coakley, Maureen Considine, Lorraine Cooke, Patrick Corcoran, Ciaran Cronin, Aidan Crotty, Brian Crotty, Niamh Davis, Tanya de Paor, Cyril Desmond, Cliff Dolliver, Fiona Dowling, Paul Drohan, Mags Dunne, Megan Eustace, Dominic Fee, Lisa Fingleton, Julie Forrester, Ita Freeney, Mags Geaney, Catherine Gibney, Valerie Gleeson, Debbie Godsell, Vivienne Griffin, Stephen Gunning, Conor Harrington, Brian Harte, Olivia Hasset, Eileen Healy, Ciara Healy, Ian Healy, Martin Healy, Catherine Hehir, Kevin Holland, Stephanie Hough, Niamh Hurley, Sarah Iremonger, Marianne Keating, Tonia Kehoe, Helle Kvamme, Ciarán Langford, Paul La Rocque, Nevan Lehart, William Lawlor, Ray Lawlor, Laurie Le Grand, Susanne Leutengger, Lynda Loughnane, Tony Magner, Leo McCann, James McCann, Donna McNamara, Carín MacCana, Sharon McCarthy, Sandra Minchin, Donal Moloney, Harry Moore, Kieran Moore, Pat Mortell, Lorraine Mullins, Frances Murphy, Eveleen Murphy, Ray Murphy, Catherine Murray, Pamela Myers, Lorraine Neeson, Sinead Ní Chíonaola, Éilis Ní Fhaolain, Deirdra Nolan, Noelle Noonan, Amelia Norman, Deirdre O’Brien, Maire O’Mahony, Maureen O’Connor, Suzy O’Mullane, Margaret O’Sullivan, Suzanne O’Sullivan, Aoife O’Brien, Sorcha O’Brien, Elizabeth O’Callaghan, Kieran O’Connor, Frances O’Connor, Robert O’Connor, Elayne O’Connor, Kieran O’Donovan, Tanya O’Keefe, Geraldine O’Riordan, Julia Pallone, Rebecca Peart, Annette Persson, Lucy Phelan, Tessa Power, Ben Reilly, Sinéad Rice, Amanda Rice, Gail Ritchie, Sarah Roche, Anthony Ruby, Christopher Samuels, Danielle Sheehy, Brian Smith, Aisling Smyth, Helena Tobin, Wesley Triggs, Kevin Tuohy, Margaret Walsh, Mark Whelan, Wendie Young.