Exhibition of works by students celebrating Cork's past, present and future opens at Mayfield Library

AN EXHIBITION of works by students from Scoil Bernadette has opened at Mayfield Library.

The exhibition, Remembering Cork’s Past, Celebrating Cork’s Present and Imagining Cork’s Future, was officially opened by Cllr Ken O’Flynn.

It features decorative collage, print etching and clay modelling and is a culmination of a seven-week creative arts programme undertaken by students from the school with staff from the Mayfield Arts Centre.

As part of the programme, made possible with funding from Cork City Council’s Commemoration Fund 2023, every student in the school took part in two visual arts workshops allowing them to engage creatively with themes relevant to the commemoration.

The future of Cork was imagined using clay and 3D Plaster models as a tool to explore some fantastic ideas, while students explored the present landscape of the city using collographs and collages.

Images of Cork in the past were reproduced during dry-point printmaking sessions.

Commenting on the exhibition, Christina Hayes, a teacher at Scoil Bernadette, said: “As we conclude this inspiring journey of artistic exploration with our students, we celebrate not just the culmination of an arts project, but the blossoming of creativity, imagination and self-expression.

“As we come to the end of the decade of centenaries, this exhibition stands as a testament to Cork and to the vibrancy of her youth, whose boundless imagination has found a powerful voice through the language of art.”

Deirdre Hunt Arts Co-ordinator at the Mayfield Arts Centre said it was an honour to be invited to facilitate the programme.

“The art processes involved were as important as the outcomes and every student and teacher contributed to the energy, fun and creativity at every workshop,” she said.

The exhibition will continue in the library until the new year.