West Cork is well known for its large numbers of artists and craftspeople who produce exceptional and inspirational work. 

However, for visitors to West Cork or Cork City, it can be difficult to locate these artists and view their work. Artists’ studios are usually hidden down leafy boreens, tucked away beside cliffs or down heart-stoppingly steep tracks. 

In order to give both locals and visitors to Cork the opportunity to appreciate these many wonderful West Cork art forms, Cork Airport today launched an exhibition entitled ‘A Taster of West Cork Creates’, which runs at Cork Airport until September 29, 2017. 

‘A Taster of West Cork Creates’ is part of the annual A Taste of West Cork Food Festival, which runs from September 8 to September 17 and showcases the work of the many talented visual artists from across the West Cork region. 

The exhibition will display original works of painting, photography and print-making, including images from the 2016 West Cork Creates exhibition.  The exhibition is also ‘a taster’ of the larger scale ‘West Cork Creates’ exhibition at The O’Driscoll Building, Levis Quay, Skibbereen, which is open from this Saturday, August 5. 

The West Cork Creates exhibition in Skibbereen gathers together the work of over 40 artists under one roof, to show an extraordinary variety of outstanding fine art, photography, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, textiles and jewellery all inspired by this year’s theme - The Wild Atlantic Way.

The 10-day A Taste of West Cork Food Festival takes place this year from September 8 to September 17 with over 230 culinary and adventure events across the region’s 36 towns and villages and eight islands.
 
Speaking at the launch, Helen Collins, Chairperson of A Taste of West Cork Food Festival, commented on the array of talent on show at the Cork Airport installation, saying: “It gives me such pride as a resident of West Cork to have the opportunity to display the talent of our West Cork visual artists at Cork Airport in advance of our festival and the main exhibition in Skibbereen.
 
Locals and visitors from far and wide will not only now see that West Cork is the food capital but that our art and craftsmanship is on par in terms of skill and passion for what it is these artists do.  Our beautiful region continues to prove itself as one of endless positive outputs and offers a source of enjoyment for all of the senses. It is of huge credit to Cork Airport that they are acting as host to this fantastic exhibition, offering those passing through its doors an insight into the scope of artistic potential that exists in our beautiful part of the world.”

The showcase at Cork Airport has been organised by a small team of artists, including Jo Ashby, Bernadette Burns, Paul Cialis and Robbie Murphy and was done so in collaboration with the organisers of the ‘West Cork Creates’ exhibition and the A Taste of West Cork Food Festival team. Among those in attendance at the launch were Clodagh Henehan, Cork County Council’s West Cork Divisional Manager, Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director, Cork Airport and a selection of the featured artists. 

Pictured: L-R John Loughnane, Mayor of Clonakilty; Helen Collins, Chairperson, A Taste of West Cork Food Festival; Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director, Cork Airport; Jo Ashby, artist and curator of Taster of West Cork Creates Exhibition and Cllr. Ian Doyle, Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork.