Beallairmín, An Chéim, B.Á.C. 18

gaelscoil@taobhnacoille.ie

+353 1 2950000

 

Ealaín Poiblí: Scéim an % don Ealaín

 

Mar chuid den togra tógála fuaireamar deontas ón Roinn Ealaín & Cultúir le coimisiniú a dhéanamh ar shaothar ealaíne don scoil. Luach 1% de chostas iomlán tógála na scoile a bhí sa deontas. D’eagraigh Bord Bainistíochta na scoile comórtas oscailte lena h’aghaidh seo agus lorgaíodh aighneachtaí ó ealaíontóirí go mbeadh spéis acu tabhairt faoina leithéid. Bheartaigh Bord Bainistíochta i gcomhairle le foireann na scoile coimisiniú a dhéanamh ar shaothar ealaíne a bheadh suite os comhair an fhoirgnimh agus cé nach raibh téama faoi leith á mholadh, theastaigh uainn go mbeadh sé ina  amharcráiteas láidir den scoil.

 

Bhí an-spéis sa choimisiún seo agus fuaireamar iarratais ar bhreis eolais ó níos mó ná 100 ealaíontóir agus chuir 49 ealaíontóir iarratas isteach ar an gcoimisiún. Tugadh cuireadh do 4 ealaíontóir macsamhaill dá saothar ealaíne a chur i láthair an Bhord Roghnúcháin (ar a raibh 3 ealaíontóir proifisiúnta agus 2 ón mBord Bainistíochta) agus is faoin mBord Roghnúcháin a bhí sé ansin cinneadh a dhéanamh cén saothar ealaíne ab oiriúnaí dár scoil.

 

D’aontaigh an Bord Roghnúcháin d’aon ghuth go mba chóir an coimisiún a bhronnadh ar ealaíontóir/dealbhadóir darbh ainm Fidelma Massey. ‘Taobh na Coille’ is ainm don saothar ealaíne a chruthaigh Fidelma Massey. Dealbh cré-umha de chailín óg ag seasamh ag taobh/ imeall coille agus í ag tabhairt aghaidh ar áit dhraíochtúil, thaitneamhach, tharraingtheach. Bhain sí úsáid as 3 cúille ard déanta as cruach leis na crainn a chur in iúl agus bhain sí úsáid as géaga an chrainn le hainm na scoile a scríobh in ogham. Tá 32 éan chré-umha draíochtúil ar thomhasanna éagsúla suite ar na géaga. Is léir ón gcuma atá ar aghaidh an chailín go bhfuil sí ar bís le dul isteach i dTaobh na Coille.

 

 

Nochtaíodh an saothar ealaíne seo go hoifigiúil ar an Aoine an 16 Deireadh Fómhair 2009. Bhí daltaí agus tuismitheoirí na scoile i láthair ag an nochtadh agus Fidelma Massey í féin mar aoí speisialta ar an lá.  ‘Clíona ag Taobh na Coille’ a bhaisteamar ar an saothar ealaíne in ómós do Mháire & Lorcán Mac Gabhann, bunaitheoirí Ghaelscoil Thaobh na Coille agus a n-iníon Clíona a bhí ar an gcéad pháiste a cláraíodh le tosú sa scoil i Meán Fómhair 1995.

 

Bhí Bord Bainistíochta na scoile chomh tógtha leis na pictiúirí a tharraing Fidelma Massey mar chuid dá cur i láthair don chomórtas % don Ealaín gur bheartaigh an bord commisiniú a dhéanamh ar phictiúr de ‘Chlíona’ agus dhá cheann de na héin le crochadh sa phasáiste laistigh den bpríomhdhoras.

 

Tá an saothar ealaíne a chruthaigh Fidelma Massey dúinne sár-álainn agus is primhléid dúinne é saothar ealaíne den tsaghas seo a bheith againn inár scoil.

 

 

Public Art: Per cent for Art Scheme

As part of our building project we received a grant from the Department of Arts & Culture to commission a work of Art for the school. This grant was 1% of the cost of building the school. The school’s Board of Management held an open competition inviting interested artists to apply for this commission. The Board of Management in conjunction with the school staff proposed to commission a work of art which would be positioned to the front of the building and although no specific theme was prescribed it was suggested that the piece should make a strong visual statement about the school.

 

There was great interest in the commission and we received well over 100 applications for more information and 49 artists made formal submissions for the project. 4 artists were shortlisted by a selection board (consisting of 3 professional artists & 2 members of the Board of Management) and they were invited to present their proposed artwork to the selection committee. It was then down to the committee to decide which piece of work best suited our school.

 

The Selection Board agreed unanimously that the commission should be awarded to an artist/sculptor named Fidelma Massey.  The sculpture is called ‘Taobh na Coille’ or ‘At the Edge/Side of the Wood’.  It consists of a bronze statue of a young girl standing at the edge of a wood. She gazes into the wood and looks as if she is just about to enter somewhere magical, fascinating and interesting.  Three tall stainless steel poles depict the trees and each branch is a letter from the ‘ogham’ script that reads ‘Taobh na Coille’. On the branches sit 32 fictional bronze birds of various sizes. It is clear from the expression on the young girls face that she is excited about entering the wood (or Taobh na Coille).

 

 

Our art commission was formally unveiled on Friday the 16th of October 2009. Pupils and parents attended the unveiling along with Fidelma Massey, our special guest on the day. We have named the sculpture ‘Clíona ag Taobh na Coille’ in honour of Máire & Lorcán Mac Gabhann, who founded Gaelscoil Thaobh na Coille and whose daughter Clíona was the first pupil enrolled to start in the school when it opened in September 1995.

 

The Board of Management were so taken by the pencil drawings Fidelma Massey presented as part of her initial presentation for the % for art commission that the Board decided to commission a drawing of ‘Clíona’ and two of the ‘birds’ to be hung in the hallway inside the main entrance.

 

We are absolutely delighted with the beautiful sculpture Fidelma Massey made for us. It is a privilege to have such a wonderful piece of art in our school.