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Olivia Hope in front of artist Olivia Golden’s artwork at the Samhain Exhibition ‘A Way Home – An Slí Abhaile’ at Siamsa Tíre on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
SIAMSA Tíre was the venue for the launch of a new arts exhibition for children, showcasing the breadth of talent in contemporary Irish illustration while retelling the story of Samhain (Halloween) for a new generation.
‘Samhain’ will run at the Tralee venue until November 21 as part of the planned Samhain Festival in partnership with Kerry County Museum
‘A Way Home – An Slí Abhaile’ is a story of Halloween as told by Killarney-based children’s writer Olivia Hope and is the inspiration for the exhibition.
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She has collaborated with 20 illustrators and artists from all over Ireland and beyond who have brought the scenes from her story to life for the exhibition.
There are 46 artworks in total, displayed in the gallery at the eye level of the target audience, gradually moving up from floor work for babies to adult height by the end of the story.
The list of exhibiting illustrators includes a number of Children’s Books Ireland and An Post Book award winners including Karen Vaughan, Lauren O’Neill and Margaret Anne Suggs, and nominees Paddy Donnelly, Linda Fahrlin.
A piece by Ciara Kenny from the Spa, Tralee, one of the artworks on display at the Samhain Exhibition ‘A Way Home – An Slí Abhaile’ at Siamsa Tíre. Photo by Dermot Crean
They are joined by Irish Design award winner Paula McGloin and New York Times bestseller Eva Byrne, Ciara Kenny (the Twitter personality known as @Ciaraioch, whose image of Peig can be seen on a utility box in Tralee); the Kerry-born internationally acclaimed photorealist painter Tony O’Connor; and author and illustrator Sheena Dempsey whose parents were born in the Kingdom.
During the weeks to come, you can follow the púca’s journey and the journey of all of the artworks depicting his story as they make their way to Siamsa Tíre by keeping an eye out for #haveyouseenthepuca online. Scroll down for photos…
Micheál O’Dwyer and Breda O’Dwyer in front of Tony O’Connor’s striking art at the Samhain Exhibition ‘A Way Home – An Slí Abhaile’ at Siamsa Tíre on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
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Artists Paula McGloin and Lauren O’Neill with Lauren’s artwork at the Samhain Exhibition ‘A Way Home – An Slí Abhaile’ at Siamsa Tíre on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
Olivia Hope with Isobel Burch at the Samhain Exhibition ‘A Way Home – An Slí Abhaile’ at Siamsa Tíre on Thursday. Photo by Dermot Crean
