Westmeath gallery hosts National Drawing Day event
Luan Gallery is delighted to announce events on Saturday May 16 for National Drawing Day.
Presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Ireland, National Drawing Day brings together more than 70 arts centres, galleries, museums and libraries across the country to highlight and promote drawing in all its forms. Supported by Arts Council funding.
At Luan Gallery, the day will feature an interesting programme of free, drop-in activities inspired by the current exhibition, Divergent Lines, which explores how drawing can be used in different ways across a wide range of artistic styles and materials.
Taking place from 11 am to 5 pm, the programme offers the public a variety of ways to engage with drawing, including self-guided activities, artist-led workshops, live demonstrations, and a curator’s tour.
The public is invited to pick up a pencil and paper and take part in this nationwide celebration of drawing.
Throughout the day, visitors can drop into the gallery to take part in self-guided drawing activities, with sketching materials and creative prompts available at the front desk. A dedicated response room will also provide resources for experimenting with three-dimensional approaches to drawing.
Artist Michael Wann will host a workshop, Drawing and Seeing: The Landscape in Charcoal, at Abbey Road Artist Studios at 11 am. Designed for adults of all experience levels, this session introduces participants to landscape composition using charcoal. Through guided exercises, Wann will share insights into his artistic approach, focusing on line, form, and composition. All materials will be provided, and advance booking is required for this free workshop via luangallery.ie.
At 1:30 pm, visitors are invited to join a free curator’s tour of Divergent Lines exhibition. This multidisciplinary group exhibition examines the expanded possibilities of drawing across a range of practices and media, highlighting abstract mark-making and the experiential qualities of line in space. The tour is open to all and does not require booking.
From 2 pm to 4 pm, Michael Wann will present a live drawing session in the River Gallery at Luan Gallery. Working in charcoal, Wann will create a depiction of the River Shannon over the
course of two hours. Visitors are invited to drop in, watch the process, and learn more about the techniques and creative decisions behind his work.
Luan Gallery’s current exhibition DIVERGENT LINES features new work by artists Kiera O’Toole, Felicity Clear, Mary Ruth Walsh, Michael Wann, Lelia Henry, and Brian Fay. DIVERGENT LINES explores the potential of drawing across a diverse range of artistic practices and mediums, with a focus on abstracted methods of mark-making and the phenomenological exploration of line in space. Through various approaches, ranging from minimalist gestures to immersive environments, the works presented in this exhibition will investigate the potential of mark-making and the construction of line as tools for expression, spatial disruption, and conceptual inquiry.
This exhibition and all activities for National Drawing Day at Luan Gallery are supported by funding from the Arts Council.
Information on the exhibition and accompanying upcoming events can be found at luangallery.ie and on Luan Gallery’s social channels @luangalleryathlone on Instagram and Luan Gallery on Facebook. Divergent Lines will continue until Sunday, 21st June. Admission to the gallery is free for groups and individuals. Tours for schools and groups can be arranged by contacting the gallery in advance. Luan Gallery is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am – 5 pm and Sundays and Bank Holidays from 12 – 5 pm.