Press release
OPW celebrates International Sculpture Day
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Office of Public Works (OPW) is delighted to join in the celebration of International Sculpture Day on 24 April, showcasing artworks from the Double Estate exhibition at the Pearse Museum, Dublin, on its social media channels. Although the exhibition itself remains closed until galleries and museums can reopen safely, the OPW has offered daily highlights from it online in the week leading up to the event in order to raise awareness and enjoyment of this art form.
The eight works chosen from the Pearse Museum’s collection and from the OPW State Art Collection give a glimpse of the OPW’s rich art and heritage collections which include some one thousand statues, busts and sculptures in over 170 locations all over Ireland: in garden and park settings, on paved forecourts and in courtyards; in government buildings, historic houses and castles. Some of these artworks form part of a heritage site’s historic collection, while others have been commissioned or acquired by the OPW under the Government’s Per Cent for Art Scheme, which seeks to promote engagement with public art and to support artists in Ireland.
Well-known examples of sculptures in the OPW’s collection include Oliver Sheppard’s Cuchulainn in the GPO, the recently conserved Henry Moore sculpture Knife Edge, which is part of the WB Yeats memorial in St Stephen’s Green or the classical sculptures in Emo Court’s parklands, Co. Laois, and on Garnish Island, in West Cork.
Marking International Sculpture Day, Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, said:
"The sculptures in the parks, heritage sites and State buildings the OPW manages bring art into the everyday lives of people who visit and work in these spaces, inviting our engagement with them. I invite everybody to join in the celebration of this event and to discover or rediscover art in the public realm in their locality. Many of the OPW’s parks and outdoor heritage attractions have remained open and accessible to locals throughout Level 5, providing important amenities for citizens’ health and wellbeing, and more heritage sites will open their grounds from 26 April."
The grounds of over 70 OPW heritage sites and parks around Ireland will be open to visitors within the existing limitations on travel from next week.
The catalogue for the Double Estate exhibition is available here .
Information about the OPW State Art Collection can be found here .
Details of all OPW heritage sites – including a list of outdoor sites that are already open or will reopen on/after 26 April – can be found on www.heritageireland.ie .