Report to Arts, Culture, Recreation and
Community SPC
11th January 2016
Item No. 13
Arts and Cultural Advisory Group
Minutes of Meeting held on Monday 2nd November 2015, 8.30 a.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall.
Attending: Cllr Rebecca Moynihan (stand-in chair person) Ray Yeates, Ruairí Ó Cuív,
Barbara Dawson, Brendan Teeling, Charles Duggan, Gerry Kerr, Paula Murphy, Cecily
Brennan, Willie White, Cllr Claire Byrne, Simon O’Connor, Elaina Ryan, Mary Freehill,
Jonathan Ekwe.
Apologies: Aine Clancy
1. Minutes of previous meeting held on 7th September 2015
Approved
2. Matters Arising
No matters arising
3. City Arts Officer Report
Ray Yeates presented his report and discussed events run by the Arts Office and
events taking place at the LAB. (See report on Page 4)
4. New Draft Cultural Strategy
Ray Yeates presented the draft of the ‘Dublin City Council Cultural Strategy (2011 –
2021) (See report on Page 10)
5. Studio Space for Artists in Dublin City
Cecily Brennan presented a report on the changing situation regarding studio space
for artists in Dublin City (See report on page 16)
Recommendation: It was agreed that practical actions are needed and a subgroup consisting of city officials from relevant departments should be set up
to look after this, this will be put forward at the next SPC meeting.
Recommendation: Members were asked to invite artists along to engage with the
development plan, dates to be confirmed with the planning department.
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6. Dublin City Public Libraries Report
Brendan Teeling presented the Libraries Report.
7. Dublin City Public Art Programme Report
The Public Art Manager, Ruairí Ó Cuív presented the Public Art Report and the
report was noted.
Resignation of John Tuomey
John Tuomey, architect and member of Aosdána has tendered his resignation from the Arts
and Cultural Advisory Group due to work commitments on international projects and
teaching commitments. John Tuomey was one of three arts specialists appointed to the Arts
and Cultural Advisory Group under the Policy and Procedure for the Management of Public
Art in Dublin City adopted by Dublin City Council in 2014.
Recommendation
It was recommended that an architect be appointed to replace John Tuomey as a public art
expert on the Group and that Aosdána be invited to nominate a male and female architect as
proposed in the Policy and Procedure for the Management of Public Art in Dublin.
Temporary Display of a Bust of Seamus Heaney by Carolyn Mulholland
The Arts Council intends to acquire an edition of a bust of Seamus Heaney by sculptor
Carolyn Mulholland which the poet himself originally commissioned in 1967, the year after
the publication of his seminal first collection Death of a Naturalist. Next year is the fiftieth
anniversary of this publication, and to mark the occasion, the Arts Council wish to
temporarily site this artwork in Sandymount Green. Heaney lived in Sandymount for many
years and had strong connections with the village.
Recommendation
The Arts and Cultural Advisory Group recommended support for this proposal for temporary
display of the bust for a six month period in Sandymount Green, subject to agreement of the
Parks and Landscape Services and Local Area Office.
Proposal for a Permanent Sculpture
The developer Paddy McKillen is proposing to commission a new public artwork by Isabel
Nolan titled Sky Atlas for a new development at Percy Place, Dublin 4. The sculpture will be
a feature of a new landscaped area (including City Council public space) in front of this new
mixed use building. Paddy McKillen was particularly keen that a public artwork of
contemporary nature be commissioned that would be aesthetically sympathetic to the
development's architecture, as well as representing a modern Ireland and on this basis
selected Sky Atlas by Isabel Nolan as his preferred option. He proposes to retain
ownership of this work for the present. Sky Atlas is a painted steel artwork which is based
on the relationship of different constellations with each other in the sky. The work will be
placed on a 1.7 metre high 60cm x 60 cm plinth with the aim of displaying the artwork to best
effect and of preventing vandalism and climbing on it.
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Recommendation
The Arts and Cultural Advisory Group recommended acceptance of the proposed sculpture
on the basis that the City Development Plan encourages such proposal subject to the quality
of the artwork and issues relating to health and safety and maintenance. A condition of
acceptance for placement in Dublin City Council’s public realm should be that the developer
and owner agrees to maintain the sculpture in good order for as long as it is sited there and
for as long as he owns the work.
8. AOB
Dublin City Gallery - Hugh Lane Report
Barbara Dawson gave an update on Hugh Lane – Dublin City Gallery.
The date for the next Arts & Culture Advisory Group meeting is Tuesday 5th
January at 8:30am in Council Chambers, City Hall.
__________________
Cllr Rebecca Moynihan
Acting Chairperson
2nd November 2015
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