Exhibition traces course of the Lee

AN ART exhibition, tracing the course of the River Lee from its origins in the Shehy Mountains and Gougane Barra to its meeting with the Celtic Sea at the mouth of Cork Harbour, has opened at the Crawford Art Gallery.

Comprised of historic and contemporary artworks, ‘From Source to Sea’ celebrates the culture of Cork’s Lee and its tributaries.

Artworks from the 1750s through to the present day are featured in the exhibition.

Each painting, drawing, print, and sculpture offers its own perspective on the river, featuring the stories it has carried and collected, the places and people it has shaped, and the changes it has borne.

The exhibition features much-loved paintings, ranging from John Butts’ View of Cork from Audley Place (circa 1750) and Whipping the Herring out of Town (circa 1800) by Nathaniel Grogan, to George Mounsey Wheatley Atkinson’s Paddle Steamer Entering the Port of Cork (1842) and Skellig Night on South Mall (1845) by James Beale. Those paintings are joined by the work of artists Sarah Grace Carr, Kate Dobbin, John Fitzgerald, Robert Gibbings, Patrick Hennessy, Seán Keating, Diarmuid Ó Ceallacháin, and George Petrie.

Recent acquisitions by Ita Freeney, Bernadette Kiely, and Donald Teskey offer new contexts, while portraits by Séamus Murphy, Nano Reid, and Eileen Healy recall rich tales from the Lee Valley, including The Tailor and Ansty and the inimitable voice of Cónal Creedon.

Michael Waldron, curator of the exhibition, said it had been a pleasure to take a journey along the River Lee.

“I hope visitors will take as much enjoyment in following its course, connecting with the river’s rich history and culture, and maybe even get inspired to take their own stroll at Gougane Barra, Lee Fields, or the Marina,” Mr Waldron said.

‘From Source to Sea’ runs from June 22 to September 22 in the Gibson Galleries at Crawford Art Gallery.