An Post move highlights lack of arts space in Galway

Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

Galway International Arts Festival, and its creative director Paul Fahy, in particular, deserve credit for the quality of visual arts and artists brought to Galway over the years, despite the lack of exhibition space.

The city has no proper, purpose-built, dedicated public gallery to showcase art during the two weeks of July for the annual Festival, or any other event.

It remains a blot on the copybook of a city that has such a high opinion of itself and its standing in the arts world.

Some €15m was spent on Galway 2020, European Capital of Culture, and the public quite rightly asks: ‘what have we to show for it?’

Galway City Council is currently contemplating moving its headquarters to Mervue, but what will a modern City Hall with a price tag of €56.5m add to the local arts and cultural scene?

For some reason, building a dedicated public arts space was never a priority of those in power.

That meant the Festival, and Paul Fahy, had to be innovative in re-imagining buildings to house its visual arts programme.

The shows in the former printworks at the old Connacht Tribune offices on Market Street were unforgettable, boosted by how the space was repurposed. The same was true of exhibitions in other buildings, including Headford Road Shopping Centre, and in recent Festivals, at An Post’s building at Williamsgate Street/Eglinton Street.

That General Post Office building is once again the Festival gallery in 2022 but this could be the last year it is used for art.

In March 2021 it was announced that a permanent civic arts space would be included as part of the redevelopment of An Post. That was a welcome commitment, but when will it happen?

An Post told us this week that it cannot give a commitment to the Festival to use the space next year and subsequent years.

“We are currently in the midst of the planning and development process for the property which includes the planned arts space. We are committed to the Arts Festival in the current location in 2022 but cannot facilitate to (sic) any other use of the building until the site is finally developed and the new arts space is ready for use by the Arts Festival and others.

“It is not possible to put a timeline just yet on the development of the site or on when it will open for use,” a spokesperson said.

It’s not the fault of An Post that Galway is lacking in civic arts space but that response wouldn’t fill you with confidence that the new, permanent gallery will be delivered any time soon.

In the meantime, Paul Fahy and Co will have to get their thinking caps to find new buildings or re-imagine old ones capable of hosting exhibitions of international repute.

(Photo: It’s 10 years since Scottish sculptor David Mach had his exhibition, Precious Light, at the Arts Festival. It was shown in a repurposed space at the Galway Shopping Centre. The Festival has subsequently used the old Connacht Tribune printworks and now the An Post building for its exhibitions as Galway City Council still hasn’t created a dedicated gallery for the city).

This is a shortened preview version of this article. For more Bradley Bytes, see the July 15 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.