The John O’Leary Fine Art Graduate Award 2010 winner announced

The presentation of the John O’Leary Fine Art Graduate Award which honours the late Sligo based artist and lecturer, John O’Leary, took place Thursday evening 10th June at the BA Honours Degree Show in the Institute of Technology, Sligo.

 This award was introduced by Sligo County Council in the current Space for Art Sligo Arts Plan 2007-2012 and is delivered in partnership with the Fine Art Department, Institute of Technology Sligo to recognise excellence in the visual arts at under-graduate level. This year the award encourages and supports an artist to broaden their horizons and deepen their creative practice through international travel which will advance the artist’s own practice. Introducing the award, Perry Share, Head of the School of Humanities, regretted the closure of Sligo Art Gallery and hoped that it may be possible to maintain an association with the board of the Gallery for this Award going forward.

Marilyn Gaffney from Castlepollard, Co Westmeath was announced as the award winning artist by Cormac O Leary, son of the late John O’Leary.  The John O Leary Travel Award, valued at €3,000 will be used by Marilyn to take up a residency in France for a period of time followed by visits to a number of other major European cultural centres.  “This award will help fund my intended travel destination to creative surroundings in the South of France to a place called The Art Farm.  This place is surrounded by captivating landscape which is a major factor in my art work. This opportunity will enable me to visit a country I have never been to before but have investigated thoroughly enough that it has captured my interests towards my art