Swan Park Ceramic
Trail revival 2024
17.05.24
ARTLINK is thrilled to
announce the revival of the Swan Park Ceramic Trail,
which celebrates the intersection of art, nature and
community engagement. Spearheaded by Aileen Barr, the
revitalised trail will be launched in Buncrana at 2pm on
24 May 2024.
Artlink’s first public art project ‘Art in the Park’ was
initiated in 1994 by Aileen Barr, one of Artlink’s three
founding artists. She worked with a local FAS scheme to
create tiles for a seat and environmental tile trail
throughout the park that blended art and nature, leaving
an indelible mark on the local community. |
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Matthew Porter & Aileen
Barr and detail of ceramic mosaic. |
Reflecting on the original
project, Aileen said: "This was my first public art
project, installed in 1995 with the support of the local
council. It was pivotal in my artistic journey, allowing
me to venture into the realm of public art and
experiment with new ideas and techniques. Indeed, its
overwhelming success was deeply rooted in community
involvement."
Aileen, who previously studied ceramics at the National
College of Art and Design in Dublin, has since dedicated
the past three decades to creating handmade tile
projects for public spaces. She gained worldwide
recognition for her remarkable tiled stairways in San
Francisco where she emigrated to in 2002, created in
collaboration with Colette Crutcher and the local Bay
Area community. |
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Tiles for the ceramic
trail produced by community and workshop with Aileen
Barr. |
The recent regeneration of
Swan Park after flooding in 2017, prompted Artlink to
bring back this beloved project to life. This involved
creating ceramic pieces based on the original artwork
and recreating the iconic circular ceramic mosaic seat,
themed around the Life Cycle of the Salmon, as a focal
point within the park.
"I simply can’t put into words how delighted I’ve been
to be back home in Inishowen and involved in the
revitalisation of the Swan Park Ceramic Trail" Aileen
said. "Getting to work again with some of the original
participants and fantastic local community groups has
been brilliant, and we’ve now developed new designs and
created tiles for the new bench. It has also been great
to work with local artist Matthew Porter who joined me
in crafting tiles for the environmental trail. Combined
with the park's recent upgrades, it really is a
wonderful addition to our beloved town treasure."
Matthew Porter added: “As a local artist and forager
with a deep connection to Swan Park, I have been
delighted to contribute to the new project which
celebrates our natural heritage. Indeed, it’s not only
about reviving a cherished facet of the park but also
about helping to inform future generations about the
abundance of natural resources within it and inspire
them to cherish and preserve our local ecosystems."
Artlink project co-ordinators Rebecca Strain and Martha
McCulloch, expressed their excitement about the launch
of the new project. "The revitalised Swan Park Ceramic
Trail is not only a celebration of art and nature but
also a testament to the power of community engagement"
said Rebecca.
Martha added: “The launch event for the new Swan Park
Ceramic Trail will take place at 2pm on 24 May 2024, and
I’d like to take this opportunity to invite the whole
community to witness the unveiling of this inspiring
project. After this event we’ll be retiring to the
Anglers Centre in the park for some tea and cake.
Everyone is welcome!”
For further information about the launch of the
revitalised Swan Park Ceramic Trail or upcoming
exhibitions and events at Artlink Fort Dunree during May
and June 2024, visit
www.artlink.ie . |
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