merrion street

Minister Seán Canney, TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief today (19 July) launched ‘Conversations at the Casino’ – An Exhibition of Portraits from the State Art Collection.
Conversations at the Casino is an exhibition that features a selection of portraits from the State Art Collection which is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The exhibition on temporary display in the Casino features 47 portraits by 32 artists. There are historic and contemporary paintings, original prints, sculpture and drawings on display. The portraits are of figures from different spheres of Irish life – the arts, sport and politics. The included artworks span five centuries – from a School of Rembrandt portrait dating to the 1630s to portraits created in 2016.

Speaking at the launch in the Casino today, Minister Canney said “I am delighted to be here this evening at the Casino Marino to launch this wonderful exhibition of portraits from the State Art Collection. The range and diversity of styles of portraiture on view here in this magnificent neo-classical building will, I have no doubt, pique and intrigue visitors in equal measure. My Office, manages the most widely dispersed public art collection in the country, with over 90% of our 16,000 artworks on display in public buildings that people visit very day”

The first venue for the exhibition of portraits was Farmleigh Gallery where over 80 artworks were on display. The exhibition will also travel to the Main Guard in Clonmel in a different format and it will change to suit the scale of that location.

Minister Canney concluded “Historic and contemporary, my Office has played a key role in the acquisition of portraits for display in public buildings since its foundation in 1831, 185 years ago and its continued successful involvement in the cultural life and heritage of the country was shown in the hugely successful 2016 programme of events recently. This exhibition will also be a highlight of the 2016 exhibition season”.



Notes to Editors:
Photography from the launch event will be available from Fennell Photography after the event (sales@fennell-photography.ie)
Images from the exhibition are available by contacting opwpressoffice@opw.ie

LISTINGS INFORMATION: CASINO MARINO
Exhibition: ‘CONVERSATIONS’
Gallery: The Casino, Cherrymount Crescent, Marino, Dublin 3
Dates: Open until 30th October 2016
Times: Daily 9.00am – 5.00pm (last admission 4.15pm)
Contact: casinomarino@opw.ie or 01 833 1618

LISTINGS INFORMATION: MAIN GUARD CLONMEL
Exhibition: ‘CONVERSATIONS’
Gallery: The Main Guard, Sarsfield Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Dates: Open until 21 August, 2016
Times: Tuesday to Sunday 9.00am – 5.00pm (last admission 4.15pm)
Contact: mainguard@opw.ie or 052 612 7484