GMIT student exhibitions (6) to take place in Galway and Mayo in May and June

Students on degree courses in Art & Design, Furniture & Technology, Film & Documentary and Architectural Technology in GMIT will host six separate public exhibitions in Galway and Mayo campuses and city venues this summer.

Dr Paddy Tobin, Head of GMIT’s Centre for the Creative Arts & Media (CCAM), says: “The work on display from GMIT students over the coming weeks represents the culmination of a year’s work, and reflects the highest levels of imagination, skill and dedication. The creativity and technical prowess being presented by our young people bodes very well for the future of the creative sector in Galway and the West.”

The first event, the ‘Architectural Technology 2016 Student Exhibition’, opens in the Galway (Dublin Road) campus at 6.30pm on Thursday next, 19 May, in Union Square and will remain open to the public until 10 June. On display will be project work by students of Architectural Technology and students from the construction industry who have completed postgrad studies in Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the School of Engineering.

Irene Hayden, event organiser and lecturer, says it is an important annual event as it allows students to demonstrate all their competencies in one project to prospective employers, many of whom recruit GMIT graduates. “The Architectural Technology graduates this year are in huge demand, with positions available in architectural practices in Galway and Mayo as well as Consulting Engineering firms and Contractors. There is a strong emphasis on a practical, applied learning experience on our course, developing technical design, analytical and research skills. We are delighted to continue to develop innovative learning and teaching experiences for our students in partnership with local community and industry representatives.

Prizes for the best four projects this year are being kindly sponsored by four companies - Roadstone, Ecological Building Systems, Moy Materials and Building Envelope Technologies.”

The second exhibition, ‘Embark’, by third year Art & Design students from GMIT’s Centre for the Creative Arts & Media (CCAM), opens in Galway city’s Print Works (Market Street), next to the Connacht Tribune buildings, on Monday, 23 May, at 6pm (to 8pm). The exhibition showcases and celebrates the broad range of disciplines and creative output by the students. Drawn, painted and printed works will be shown alongside sculpture, installation, textile art, textile design and ceramic works. Film and Documentary students also present a show-reel of completed film projects.  Students of the GMIT Creative Enterprise Springboard Course will present their work in an adjacent space at the same exhibition.  The exhibition opening hours are Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 May, 11am to 6pm, and Sunday, 29 May, from 11am to 3pm.

Two separate graduate art shows will open in the Galway (CCAM) and Mayo (Castlebar) campuses on Friday 27 May. Final year students on the part-time BA in Art & Design course in Mayo will hold their ‘Graduate Art Exhibition 2016’ in St Mary’s Hall on campus, which will be formally opened by the Director of the Ballina Arts Centre Sean Walsh at 6pm.  This programme has been redesigned and is called the BA in Contemporary Art Practice, which is offered on a flexible basis over four years.

At the Centre for the Creative Arts and Media (CCAM) in Galway city, the  ‘GMIT Graduate Showcase ‘ will be formally opened at 5pm, featuring the work of 58 students (full and part-time) in all art disciplines from ceramics to painting, print, sculpture, photography, textiles, and installations/conceptual art.  It runs until Sunday, 5 June. A Family Day takes place the day after the formal opening, on Saturday 28 May, from 12 noon to 4pm.

Two student shows will take place in June. Final year students on the BA (Hons) in Film & Documentary course will host their ‘GMIT Film Screenings’ in the Eye Cinema, Wellpark, Galway city on Friday, 10 June from 11am. This invitation-only event is attended by the students, family, friends, staff and invited guests from the film and television industry.”

On Wednesday, 15 June at 6pm, GMIT’s National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology in Letterfrack will launch ‘Vision’, an exhibition of creative and innovative furniture design and technology projects. This annual exhibition, which attracts many visitors every year, will remain open throughout the summer, Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. 

A further exhibition of GMIT student and graduate work from a range of creative disciplines will take place as part of the Arts Festival in city venues during July. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.