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Part of the ‘Graft’ art project at Ivy Terrace.
WHILE the Christmas lights have brought colour to the town, a new art project in Tralee this week has will brighten up the town centre long after the festive season.
The project aims to introduce flashes of colour and creativity onto bland utility cabinets throughout the town and it certainly succeeded.
The project entitled ‘Graft’ aims to enable local artists to transform the utility boxes which litter our street into works of art, bringing vitality and creativity to the streets of Tralee, and ultimately creating a town wide gallery of public art.
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The project follows similar community art initiatives which have been successfully developed in cities around the world which have made use of these unused public spaces by transforming them into artworks to help brighten up the streetscape and helping to make a more vibrant urban environment.
Another work on Barrack Lane.
Thanks to funding from Kerry County Council’s Arts Act Grant and Community Support Fund nonfaction have commissioned a number of artists from Tralee to create bespoke artworks for specific sites in the town.
The first three works which have being created by local artists Ciara Kenny, Kieran Herlihy and RAISE can been seen on Ivy Terrace, Barrack Lane and Edward Street, with more works planned for the future.
Project coordinator Keith Phelan said; “We believe that this project will serve to brighten up the county capital, improve the public realm and help create a sense of place. The response to the works from the public have been overwhelming positive with many people expressing delight at seeing these once dull surfaces brought to life.”
Adding finishing touches to another piece.
Kate Kennelly Arts Officer with Kerry County Council said; “We are delighted to help support this initiative, not only does it bring art and creativity to our streets, with the potential to turn the town into an open air gallery but it also supports local artists through exposure of their work and is a great opportunity to develop work outside of the traditional gallery setting.”
The project would not have been possible without the vision and support of Kerry County council, in particular the Arts Office and Tralee Municipal Office, as well as ESB Networks who permitted the use of their utility boxes.
