Over the course of this novel year of 2020, in the presence of coronavirus, we have all experienced our world in new ways. A halt perhaps to our wandering but no less wanderlust has created new appreciation for our back gardens, byroads and those in our community that helped us through these difficult times. This year artists were asked to submit work that responded to the following quote:
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
T. S. Eliot Four Quartets- 1955.
Our three judges have selected the works of over 90 artists from a record number of applications to the Open Call.
Thought-provoking and impressive in equal measure, this exhibition is a must-see.
The theme proved a generous, many-headed muse, with artists responding in a huge variety of ways and presenting a multiplicity of creative interpretations.
Our three judges Westival Visual Curator Vincent O’Donoghue,
Martina Hamilton, Director of the Hamilton Gallery Sligo.
Áine Phillips, West of Ireland visual artist and academic.