Cork Opera House unveils glass artwork as part of  170th anniversary

Cork-based glass artist Sophie Longwill used colour, hand-painted illustration, and multiple glass techniques to capture the richness of the stories and the artistic vibrancy of Opera House
Cork Opera House unveils glass artwork as part of  170th anniversary

Brian Keehan, Fleetwood Paints; Aoibhie McCarthy, Sample Studios; Brian Mac Domhnaill, Lavit Gallery; artist Sophie Longwill; Eibhlín Gleeson, Cork Opera House, with the newly commissioned artwork in the background. Picture: Roland Paschhoff

A new permanent artwork by Cork-based glass artist Sophie Longwill has been unveiled at Cork Opera House as part of its extended 170th anniversary celebrations.

The commission, titled Illuminating the Archives, was sponsored by Fleetwood Paints and developed in partnership with Sample Studios, representing a lasting cultural legacy for the historic venue.

Cork Opera House chief executive and artistic director Eibhlín Gleeson said the commission was conceived as a legacy piece for its 170th anniversary year.

“One-hundred-and-seventy individual pieces of glass, each representing a year of performance and culture on this stage, beautifully translated into light and colour by Cork artist Sophie Longwill, whose work explores memory, transformation and the passage of time through the medium of glass,” Ms Gleeson said.

Reflecting on her work, Ms Longwill said she had used colour, hand-painted illustration, and multiple glass techniques to capture the richness of the stories and the artistic vibrancy of Cork Opera House.

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