Following
an invitation by Galway County Council to Galway
craft-makers to organise craft activites in October 2011 for
Galway Craft Month, I approached a local landlord of empty retail spaces in
Claregalway with a business proposal to create 'Le Grá Craft Studio and
Gallery' to showcase the work of Galway craft-makers, designers and
artists. My idea was to create a space with 4 main activities
· a gallery selling
craft made locally
· a class-room where
local craft-makers could share their skills through offering workshops to
the public
· a studio space where I
could work on items for upcoming exhibitions while also giving the
public the opportunity to ask questions about the process of creating quilts,
wall-hangings and other textile art pieces.
· an opportunity for the
community to use the space to share their own craft skills in weekly 'drop-in'
crafty mornings.
With
the support of family and friends I hope I have created a bright welcoming
space in the heart of Claregalway where previously there was a dark empty
retail space (and sadly there are still a lot of these empty retail spaces all
over Ireland
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The
project has provided me with 6 months of work in my local community,
the opportunity to sell the work of over 40 talented makers in the gallery
and invite them to teach in the classroom. During this time it has been a
pleasure to be surrounded by beautiful knitwear, felt brooches, children's
books, silver and beaded jewellery, stoneware and earthenware pottery, ceramic
giftware, fine prints, oil-paintings, hand-made soaps, soft toys and of
course patchwork quilts, cushions and wall-hangings and so much more. Over 75%
of the work is made in Galway and the local
community has responded positively to the selection, quality and value on
offer. It has been a real pleasure to see the happy faces of those
who attended workshops leave with their own creations.
For
more information on the project see www.
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