Refurbished Belvedere House to hold art exhibition
Belvedere College Art Department will mark the opening of the recently refurbished Belvedere House with an exhibition on Friday 30th January 2105.
The exhibition will showcase the work of a number of notable past pupils such as Harry Clarke, sculptor Patrick Campbell, film director Seán Branigan, Architects Sam Stephenson, Michael Scott and David Leech, designers Alan Aboud and Dermot Flynn, members of the RHA Geraldine O’Neill, Thomas Ryan and Seán O’Sullivan. It is open to the public on Sat 31 Jan and Sunday 1 Feb 10am-4pm.
Belvedere House is one of the finest Georgian buildings in Dublin and a masterpiece in itself featuring Michael Stapleton’s ornate stucco decoration. In the entrance hall a large scale bronze sculpture with dark ebony and gold patination entitled ‘Seven Veils” by Patrick Campbell OB ’60 is on view.
As a child growing up in Dublin, Paddy Campbell loved to draw and paint. Even as he went on to build a thriving coffee to catering business, he kept his interest in art alive. In his early fifties, he resolved to devote his later years to making art, and in the millenium year 2000 he discovered that his true gift was sculpture. By then he was studying art in Florence, and he set up a studio in the cradle of the Renaissance, where he now works and lives.
Paddy Campbell’s work has found its way into many private, corporate and institutional collections both in Ireland and internationally including: A sculpture of President of Ireland, Mary McAleese 2009 in Bronze Commissioned by The Office of Public Works to commemorate the President’s second term of office. His most recent commission for Shannon Airport is a 17ft tall sculpture of rugby player Paul O Connell reaching up for ball.
His son Duncan Campbell is the recent recipient of the prestigious Turner Prize and has an exhibition of work at IMMA at the moment.
The exhibition itself will feature over 120 artworks including paintings, drawings, prints, graphic design, sculptural pieces, architectural designs, film and jewellery. There are contributions from current pupils, graduates who are studying Art, Craft and Design at third level and those who have pursued their careers in the Visual Arts, alongside work from other artists.
This is one of a number of events held within the house to showcase the building itself, its stuccowork and the foremost collection of Irish Art by past pupils and others.
Belvedere College SJ Headmaster Mr. Gerry Foley is a great advocate of the Arts who strongly believes in the importance and value of art in education. Art teacher Ms. Marguerite Redmond and the Art Department have organised the event and say members of the public who drop in to see the art works on display will not be disappointed. ‘Even a look around the wonderful house with its amazing stucco will lift the heart on these dark post-Christmas days’.
