Laois NS pupils create wonderful art inspired by Slieve Bloom mountains
Pictured on the first hanging day in Mountmellick Library are senior library assistant Karen Lambe, artist and joint parents association treasurer Edyta O'Shea with her three daughters Lena, Gaia and Aya and parents association PRO Lynn Ryder Photos: Stan Henderson
DERRYLAMOGUE National School in Rosenallis has a total of 90 pupils, from junior infants to sixth-class and each proved themselves to be super-talented young artists by creating amazing artworks for their mixed-medium Where Mountains Meet Imagination exhibition, which is on display in Mountmellick library for the month of April.
Ceramic artist Edyta O’Shea runs her EdytaART studio from her home situated in the woodlands in the heart of the Slieve Bloom mountains and the talented sculptor is also joint treasurer of the parents’ association at Derrylamogue NS, where her two youngest children attend.
Edyta came up with the idea for a whole school art exhibition to help raise funds for extra-curricular activities, such as sports and school tours for the children, and the parents’ association supported her and got involved in the project.
Following this, Edyta spent time with the young artists in their classrooms and helped them to expand their imaginations so that they could each create a work inspired by their wonderful surroundings â the Slieve Bloom mountains.
The captivating exhibition celebrates the creativity and imaginations of the gifted children and each piece shows different concepts of the wonders of the mountains through the eyes of these exceptional young artists.
The exhibition took a day-and-a-half to hang on the walls of the freshly painted three-roomed art gallery in Mountmellick library.
On the first day, Saturday 28 March, Edyta was accompanied by her three children â Aya, Lena and Gaia â and parents’ association member Lynn Ryder, who runs Tiny Talent Art Studios, an online YouTube channel which teaches children follow-along art.
While sorting through the 90 works, the artist took a few minutes to talk to the Laois Nationalist about the exhibition. Edyta said: “We want to raise funds for activities for the children like yoga, swimming, hurling, camogie and soccer, so the parents’ association went with the art exhibition idea to fundraise. I worked with the children to help them create their own artwork. They were all very excited with the idea of having an art exhibition.
“Our aim was to get every child involved and to get them to express themselves through their own imaginations by connecting with the Slieve Bloom mountains and the nature that surrounds them. Most of the children chose to use paints, while some used crayons and markers, especially the junior and senior infants, so the children could use the medium that they were comfortable with.” Tuesday 31 March was the official launch night and the second day of hanging the works. The library was a beehive of activity just before the launch as library staff, parents and several of the young artists put the finishing touches to the exhibition.
Edyta had invited the arts officer with Laois Co Council Muireann Ní Chonaill, who lives near the school, to open the exhibition.
Well over 100 people attended the launch and parents’ association chairperson Sandra Hooke addressed the gathering. She said: “On behalf of the parents’ association, I want to welcome everyone to the wonderful Where Mountains Meet Imagination exhibition. We want to thank the library staff for hosting our event and for helping to get it ready, the staff of Derrylamogue school for helping the children to create the wonderful art pieces and the parents, families and friends for their continued support of our fundraisers.
“Thanks to Edyta from not only the children but from her fellow parents’ association members for helping the children to explore their imaginations and to express themselves with confidence. Without her, this wouldn’t have been possible. Finally, thanks to the real stars, the true stars of the night – all of the pupils of Derrylamogue National School. They are true artists who have captured the Slieve Bloom mountains beautifully and without their hard work and imaginations we wouldn’t be here tonight.” Sandra introduced Muireann Ní Chonaill and the Laois arts officer began by thanking Edyta for the invitation to open the exhibition. She said: “I’m delighted to speak at Where Mountains Meet Imagination. It is an absolutely inspired event and the cause is good, too, where the parents’ association is endeavouring to reduce the costs of events for the students in the school. “There’s an expression, See It to Be It, and today we are seeing 90 children from Derrylamogue National School exhibiting in a professional art gallery and I think that is an inspired concept because, too often, other important things like sports are encouraged but for young children to see themselves on a gallery wall is so important. The exhibition is so beautifully presented. The mounting and the frames are beautiful and it is a wonderful idea to do this and, hopefully, it will inspire the children to continue with their art.” Muireann added that it was very much a community effort to see such an amazing exhibition from all the children of an entire school exhibiting their work in Mountmellick library and she noted that the man who built it, Pat Culleton, who is a grandfather of one of the artists, Aoibheann Culleton, was also present.
Muireann concluded by saying that she could talk to the parents’ association about other things they could do and about opportunities the school could avail of regarding the arts.
The exhibition is well worth visiting during library opening hours. The framed works are priced at only €20 each.
