'Without artists in Ireland, our culture will diminish'

Regan Kelly

Ireland has punched well above its weight on the arts scene for millennia, and the Lake County has contributed massively to that, being famed for its artistic output. One person who is keeping our creative spark alive is Mullingar woman Rachel Coyne.

Rachel grew up in Coole, between the shores of Lough Lene and Lough Derravaragh, and moved to Mullingar when she was a teenager.

Like most artists, she was born with a desire to create, and she began with art competitions in primary school. When she moved to Mullingar, she attended Loreto College, and later studied economics in Galway.

After some time, she realised that her true love was art, and decided to pursue a degree in painting at GMIT.

Graduating in 2018, after studying part-time for six years, Rachel was accepted to a programme at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture for postgraduate studies.

“I knew at that point that I wanted to pursue art as a serious career, as it is my passion,” she said.

“Going there made it feel possible for me to be taken seriously as an artist, but also that I could have a life as an artist.”

Following her stint in New York, Rachel returned home in February 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic.

During that time, Rachel continued to perfect her work, and when the lockdowns eased in 2022, she and Andrea Cullen opened Cúige Studios on Dominick Street.

There Rachel ran a space for artists to come together, no matter background, age or experience. “We ran festivals, put on gigs, and ran it as a space that provided an opportunity for people to create.

“I ran multiple different art classes, for children, teenagers, and adults, which I loved doing.

“For me, as a child growing up in a rural village, I wouldn’t have had that type of art on my doorstep, compared to children from cities.

“I would have loved that kind of seriousness and encouragement put into art, showing me that it would be possible.

“I just want to nurture that with children and teenagers from around Westmeath and support them, giving them the confidence in their work. That’s important to me.”

Rachel is so passionate that she often provides free art classes to secondary school students. “I wanted to give them that confidence and support, to be able to go forward and think about art in their future. Not just so they can go to art college, but to bring creativity to whatever walk of life they end up in.”

Along with that, Rachel is passionate about supporting women who have experienced domestic violence and homelessness, and he does charity work and exhibitions to raise money for Westmeath groups.

She has helped to raise funds and awareness for Temporary Emergency Accommodation Midlands and Westmeath Support Services Against Domestic Abuse (recently closed).

Rachel set up the Women’s Art Circle, where she invited women who had experienced homelessness or domestic abuse, providing a space for these women to come together.

“Cúige is a fantastic space, and it allowed me to facilitate those types of projects.

“The Women’s Art Circle grew into this space for women getting together, in a safe space at Cúige run by women, to create a sense of community for them.”

Women’s place in the Irish art scene is something Rachel remains passionate about, as feminism and exposing patriarchal structures are something that comes through in her work.

“Traditionally, in the history of art, it has been dominated by men. I think it’s important to start from a young age and say women belong in the arts as well.

“I’ve worked and studied with so many women who are creatives, and I just think it’s important to support women in art, but at the same time, all artists as well.

“Art is joy,” she said, “and without it, the world would be a much duller place.

“As Irish people, we don’t realise how much art is in our daily lives, down to the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the books we read and the pictures on our walls.

“Without artists in Ireland, our culture will diminish. We are renowned the world over for the arts, but it’s not just painting – it’s our literature, poetry, music, dance and any performance. We need to support artists for them to keep creating.”

Rachel concluded by sharing some advice for those in Westmeath interested in getting involved in art. “If you have a passion for art, do whatever you can that’s within your budget or your accessibility, just keep creating.

“There is such an amazing Westmeath arts community, and I’ve met so many of them through Cúige. It’s just getting out there and being able to have these conversations with similar-minded people.”

Rachel has moved to London to pursue a Master’s degree at the Royal College of Art.

Along with her master’s degree, Rachel has secured a new studio in London and is starting a new series of work, and hopes to set up some exhibitions shortly.