Inspiring art groups showcase their talents

Nenagh Arts Centre hosts eco-friendly event for June

Last Tuesday week, June 3, marked the long-awaited launch of the ‘Stepping Out’ art exhibition by Tipperary ETB’s Community Education students. Nenagh Arts Centre welcomed a large crowd attending the official launch of this eco-friendly art exhibition.

The showcase opened with a running start, featuring recycled shoes, shoeboxes and footwear materials to create reconstructed pieces of art. These artworks varied in size, material and background, making each individual piece wonderfully unique.

Creatives from five collaborative art groups managed by the ETB joined together to craft over 115 of these beautifully innovative pieces of art. Each instalment has been crafted with huge amounts of creativity, passion, and talent, creating a remarkably personal art collection.

Many of the shoes and shoeboxes used in the collection were donated by Nenagh’s local shoe shops, including The Shoe Corner, The Shoe Shop, and Melissa K. Each of these shops worked closely with the various artistic groups to provide materials that would otherwise have been discarded, which not only helped the artists with their works but also in practicing upcycling.

Birdhill artist Melissa Ryan organised, curated, and oversaw the exhibition, numbering and arranging each piece individually.

Ryan shared insights into the core of the art showcase in a heartfelt speech at the beginning of the launch. “It’s all about upcycling and recycling and managing things and repurposing, and we did that, we definitely did. Connecting with the local shoe shops too I thought was so nice, because community education is about bringing people together in the community and connecting communities. The beautiful shoe shops The Shoe Corner, The Shoe Shop, and Melissa K were so very generous by donating all our artists these beautiful boxes to create these amazing pieces on.”

The collection included pieces painted onto recycled shoeboxes, canvas paintings depicting shoes and artwork done on footwear themselves, each featuring a vastly different perspective on shoe-related artwork.

Paintings using old shoeboxes as canvases depicted gorgeous landscapes of the Irish countryside, bold images of wildlife and incredible fashion designs. Each painting transforms the typically bland shoebox into an expressive, eye-catching and flashy masterpiece.

Various moving stories are told using only images of shoes painted onto canvas. These delicately designed compositions capture family memories, the discomfort of growing up, and the playfulness of childhood, all while focusing on simply a pair of shoes. These paintings perfectly capture the astounding creativity of all involved in this magnificent showcase.

Finally, old shoes themselves have been reworked into awe-inspiring sculptures, turning disregarded footwear into mesmerising portraits. Common crafts materials such as feathers, beads and wool adorn the shoes, forming beautiful patterns and deep colours. Paired with these craft items are marvellously unique materials, including Lego bricks, old paint tubes, puzzle pieces and seashells that have all been used to turn these shoes into sensations.

Historic footwear joins refurbished artwork in the selection, as several antique pairs of shoes have been restored and put on display here, including a 100-year-old pair of children’s boots.

This brilliantly imaginative collection highlights the incredible local talent, and the wide range of art that can come out of one prompt.

EXHIBITION DETAILS

This breathtaking collection is on display from 10am to 4pm daily in the Nenagh Arts Centre for the month of June.