Cork's Crawford Art Gallery to host final exhibition ahead of major redevelopment

With one of Cork’s best-loved public cultural spaces about to close for renovations, members of the public are invited to view its collection one last time before its doors shut.

The Crawford Art Gallery is due this autumn to begin a major redevelopment, and it is expected to be closed for about two years.

A date for the public closure is to be announced within weeks and works to the building are due to begin in 2025 following the appointment of a building contractor.

Extensive collection

Before the doors close and the hoarding goes up, the gallery is mounting one final exhibition of its extensive collection.

Entitled ‘Now You See It…’, the exhibition features a diverse range of artworks from the collection presented across two floors.

It brings together the results of a recent public selection process called ‘You Tell We Show’, in which gallery-goers selected their own favourite works, with paintings and sculptures chosen by Crawford Art Gallery’s team.

The selected artworks in the exhibition span three centuries and range from portraits and landscapes to more abstract expressions.

Featuring some well-known works by Dorothy Cross, Louis le Brocquy, Mainie Jellett, and Patrick Scott, the exhibition also encompasses recent acquisitions from a diverse array of local, national, and international artists.

Public favourites including ‘Men of the South’ by Seán Keating and portraits of Fiona Shaw and Roy Keane feature alongside works by Corban Walker, Bridget Flannery, Tom Climent, Amanda Coogan, and Dragana Jurišić.

Surprised

Michael Waldron, co-curator of the exhibition, said the gallery staff had been delighted and even surprised by the artworks that were requested.

“It’s a brilliant mixture where one can encounter an old familiar, new favourite, or unexpected delight.

“We are including the reasons for their selection in the labels too so that will be a fun new twist for visitors,” he said.