Wexford County Council in association with Wexford Art Centre is delighted to announce the opening of a brand new Arts space in the Bullring Mall Wexford. The ‘Creative Hub’ will be officially launched by Mayor of Wexford, Councillor Tony Dempsey, on Thursday 6 September at 6pm, followed by music and light refreshments. All are welcome.
This exciting new space for artists and creatives located in the heart of Wexford town, in the old Cornmarket Shopping Mall, is now the new home to over 25 artists and craft makers as well as young musicians from the local FDYS youth music programme.
Spearheaded by Wexford County Council and supported by Wexford Art Centre, this new hub comprises approx 8,000 sq ft and provides much needed space at a subsidised cost for artists from the county’s thriving creative sector. The initiative is a direct response by the Council to artists’ needs as identified in the county’s recent arts plan ‘Advancing the Arts‘ launched earlier this year.
As part of its arrangement with Wexford County Council, Wexford Art Centre will manage the day to day running of this new space with on-going support from the Arts Office. According to County Arts Officer, Liz Burns, this new Hub “will be a mixture of working studios, exhibition, retail and workshop space for the creative sector in Wexford and also a good focus point for artists to meet, connect and to work.”
Following its recent purchase by local businessman Eamonn Buttle, the once-derelict Shopping Mall has been painstakingly renovated, opening its doors for the first time in many years during last year’s Opera Festival as a highly popular exhibition space. Following the overwhelmingly positive feedback from artists and the general public, the Council decided to take on a three year lease of the building to support the creative arts sector.
Wexford County Council Chief Executive, Tom Enright, thanked the members of Wexford County Council and Wexford Art Centre for their vision and courage in supporting the project. “Wexford County Council is delighted to support the creative arts sector in Wexford through this initiative” said Mr Enright. “This new Creative Hub is perfectly positioned in the heart of Wexford town’s cultural spine incorporating the National Opera House, Wexford Library, Wexford Arts Centre and Selskar Abbey and I look forward very much to seeing it progress in the coming years”.
Tenants of the Creative Hub include Wexford Craft Trail who has taken on the largest space - called ‘The Makers House’. Comprising a mixture of craft makers in glass, ceramics, textiles, printmakers wood and metalwork, they include Patsy Flood, Mairead Stafford, Rebecca Homfray, Annette Whelan, Mairead Caribe, Gilly Thomas and Bianco Divito, Varna Studios and Padraic Parle.
Resident visual artists include Bernadette Doolan, Fran Greene, Helen Gaynor, Ciaran Bowen, Ceri Ryan, Fergus Doyle, Declan Cody and Olivia O Dwyer. The Wexford Arts Hub, led by Denis Collins and comprising of writers, visual artists and performers, has taken on another space where it intends to host regular events. In addition FDYS youth Music programme has leased space for the on-going youth music programme ‘Music Box‘ which caters for 10-15 young people.
All spaces are currently fully booked with residents having signed a one year lease. A further call out for applications is expected to take place in 2019.
For further enquiries please contact Wexford Arts office: Tel 053 9196369 or Wexford Arts Centre Tel 053 9123764.
