A strength in being together: Tuam gets new mural by internationally acclaimed artist

The Office of Public Works and Galway County Council unite to brighten the streets with art inspired by local youths and designed by Shane O’Malley.

A new mural, developed by artist Shane O’Malley and inspired by young people involved in the local Youthreach programme, is being installed on the wall of the newly developed Department of Social Protection (DSP) Centre at the Old Library on Shop Street in Tuam this week.

The new Centre, which was co-funded by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department of Social Protection, represents an investment of circa €3 million in the north Galway town.

Senior Architect with the OPW, Lora Aughey said:

“The proposed mural aptly reflects the ethos and function of the new tenants, the DSP, while the overall refurbishment of this historic building re-establishes it as one of the more significant buildings in the town. Public art is an important bridge between contemporary culture and society, and this piece is informed by the symbols and icons of Tuam - from the Saw Doctors to the GAA grounds, the High Cross and the beautiful stained glass windows of the Cathedral.”

Funding for the mural was provided as part of the Per Cent for Art scheme, a government initiative whereby 1% of the cost of any publicly funded capital, infrastructural and building development can be allocated to the commissioning of a work of art.

Head of Art Management at the OPW, Jacquie Moore said:

“We are looking forward to seeing the mural being brought to life on the wall in Tuam.”

She continued:

“Works from the OPW State Art Collection are currently displayed in over 400 locations across Ireland, showcasing Irish art in civil service departments and government agencies, in courts and Garda stations, in garden and park settings, on paved forecourts and in courtyards.”

OPW and Galway County Council sought ideas and pitches from artists interested in responding to the tender document earlier this year.

Following a competitive tendering process, Galway City resident Shane O’Malley was successful and started his development of the mural, inspired and informed in conjunction with young people involved in Youthreach. Shane's vibrant use of colour stems from his background in graffiti. He began painting graffiti in 2001, drawn to the act of writing and leaving his mark, which encompasses both a creative and destructive nature.

Galway County Arts Officer, Sharon O’Grady said:

“For us it was very important that the mural should reflect the positivity, creativity and community of Tuam, particularly as it is seen through the eyes of the young people of the area.

“The future of Tuam will be shaped by those young people, who are living in its present, want to break with the past and want to make their mark in a positive way upon the town.”

Artist liaison with the Youthreach team in Tuam, Joanna McGlynn, was instrumental in getting young people locally to engage with the muralist and the project. Youthreach provides education, training and work experience programmes for young people aged 16 - 20 years.

Joanna McGlynn said:

"Creating opportunities for young people to use their voice and actively contribute to decision making in their town has been an empowering learning experience for all.

“Being involved from the start to the end of a project like this supports young people to understand their agency, positively developing their community through creative place making."

For further information or interview requests please contact pressoffice@opw.ie

Photography from the launch will be circulated to local media or available from Ray Ryan photography at rayryan@opw.ie

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Notes

About the OPW State Art Collection and the Per Cent for Art Scheme

The OPW State Art Collection is managed by the Art Management Office and plays a key role in both promoting and stimulating engagement with art in State buildings and public settings as envisioned by the government’s Per Cent for Art Scheme. Although the collection itself predates the scheme and includes historic artworks from public buildings maintained by the OPW since its inception in 1831 – as well as busts and portraits of past and present national leaders commissioned by the Irish Government through the OPW in the decades after independence – it grew substantially after 1978. That year, the OPW began to allocate one per cent of capital construction costs of any building project it executed to acquiring works of art in order to meet a growing desire for enhancing public spaces and government offices with artworks.

In 1997, the Per Cent for Art Scheme became government policy and was extended to all departments with construction budgets with the proviso of certain spending bands and limits. National Guidelines were published in 2004 for the implementation of the Per Cent for Art Scheme by all public bodies delivering capital construction projects.

The OPW’s implementation of the government’s Per Cent for Art Scheme in all its capital projects has contributed to a dynamic, growing collection of over 13,500 mostly contemporary Irish artworks purchased or commissioned for the properties the OPW manages. The collection includes paintings, original prints, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, as well as other art forms such as music compositions and performances, poetry written in the context of a building project and now, in Tuam, a mural.

Works from the OPW State Art Collection are currently displayed in over 400 locations across Ireland, showcasing Irish art in civil service departments and government agencies, in courts and Garda stations, in garden and park settings, on paved forecourts and in courtyards. This makes the OPW State Art Collection ‘a museum without walls’ and the most widely distributed art collection in State ownership with the highest percentage of artworks on display – over 90 per cent – at any given time.

More information about the OPW State Art Collection and the ways in which the Per Cent for Art Scheme is administered by the OPW can be found at: Irish State Art Collection.