Portumna set for arts feast with Shorelines

Portumna is gearing up to welcome a host of artists, writers, performers and visitors to the annual Shorelines Festival, running from Thursday to Sunday, September 11-14. Meanwhile, the Shorelines Visual Arts Exhibition will open at the Irish Workhouse Centre galleries on the previous Sunday, September 7. Running for two weeks, that exhibition will be launched with music from local singer/songwriter, John Luke and readings from award-winning Doire Press poets, Karen J McDonnell and Jennifer Horgan.

The exhibition at the Workhouse features visiting guest artists Eva O’Donovan, Mary Horan and Pauline Quigley, alongside local guest artists such as Wolf Lorien, Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann and Melanie Lorien. The various works, in a diverse range of media, will create different moods across the gallery.

There will also be a separate exhibition in the Workhouse Centre’s second gallery, featuring local artists who successfully submitted work to Shorelines.

The art gallery at nearby Portumna Castle, meanwhile, will feature work from the art class at Portumna Community School, as well as an outdoor photography exhibition from Portumna Camera Club and a textile exhibition by Nikki Collier.

The new venue of Portumna Courthouse will showcase the exciting Makeup X exhibition, which comprises a series of photographs exploring the intersection between make-up and art. It features the work of James Mc. who will also host a live demonstration of his artistry.

The varied music programme will be headlined by Bell X1 star, Paul Noonan, who will perform an intimate solo show at Christ Church on Saturday, September 13.

Pictured: One of the works from Makeup X, an exhibition by James M. exploring the intersection between make-up and art. It's in Portumna Courthouse, a new venue this year.