Sculptor Maurice Harron
‘HAND Across the Divide’ sculptor and celebrated local artist, Maurice Harron, will officially open the “No Jury, No Prize” art exhibition at the Alley Theatre Gallery in Strabane next week.
From Monday 23rd October the Alley Theatre Gallery will host for the first time the annual celebration of artistic creativity in the North West.
“No Jury, No Prize” was conceived as part of the Derry City of Culture year, and since its successful launch at the London Street Gallery in 2013 the exhibition has gone on to become an annual fixture in the calendar of artists working in Derry and across the border in Donegal.
For the past few years “No Jury, No Prize” has been shown at the Saldanha Gallery, Fort Dunree, but this year the exhibition organisers, Creative Village Arts (CVA) from Derry and Artlink from Donegal, have sought to encourage more artists from across the North West to join in.
CVA and Artlink this year organised collections of artwork from artists based in and around Portrush and Strabane, as well as Derry and Buncrana, and have moved the exhibition to a larger gallery, The Alley Theatre Gallery in Strabane, in order to accommodate more work.
For the gallery visitor, the appeal of “No Jury, No Prize” lies in the unexpected charm of encountering artworks by some of the region’s most celebrated artists hung alongside work submitted by enthusiastic amateurs.
The exhibition is always a vibrant and eclectic mix of subject matter, styles and mediums, with something to challenge and satisfy all tastes and opinions.
All artwork submitted is shown, on condition that it does not breach copyright or cause offence, and it is displayed without any sense of hierarchy and judgement.
The “No Jury, No Prize” exhibition is both a celebration of art and creativity, and a conceptual experiment into what is art, who is an artist and how we can open these parameters up to everyone who wishes to actively create.
It is inspired by the artistic experimentation and egalitarian ethos that emerged out of the Salon des Refusés and the Société des Artistes Indépendants in 19th century Paris.
This democratic expression of art is related to a wish for people to realise the power of creativity in effecting positive changes in their lives.
The entirely ‘un-juried’ exhibition is undoubtedly the largest showcase of local art in the North West.
Maurice Harron will officially open the art exhibition on Wednesday 25 October, at 7–9pm, and it will run up until Friday 17 November.
For further information contact the Alley Theatre Box Office on 028 71 384444 or visit www.alley-theatre.com
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