Exhibitions by such celebrated artists as Lucian Freud, Georgia O'Keeffe, Alex Katz and Anne Madden; a display of sculptures by Joan Miró and Alexander Calder, two of the towering figures of 20th-century art; a large-scale exhibition showcasing important new acquisitions by the Museum's rapidly-growing Collection, and a significant expansion of its education and community activities are all part of rich and exciting programme for 2007 at the Irish Museum of Modern Art announced today (Tuesday 23 January) by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr John O'Donoghue, TD. Plans for the coming year also include a further strand of solo exhibitions by leading artists from Ireland, Germany, Poland, India and Pakistan; a display from IMMA's Collection of rare and valuable Old Master prints, and newly-devised programmes to increase the Museum's involvement with the youth sector.
Speaking at the launch of what he described as the Museum's most ambitious programme to date, Minister O'Donoghue said: "The range and depth of the exhibition programme for 2007 conveys a keen eye and unerringly refreshing vision. It is also a significant contribution to the overall cultural life of the country and to its potential as a destination for cultural tourists". The Minister added that progress in developing the Museum's Collection was equally impressive. "The policy implemented in recent years by the Museum's Director, Enrique Juncosa, of identifying significant gaps in the Collection and then working tirelessly to fill them has yielded impressive results, in the form of a number of highly-significant acquisitions, such as the 50 works from the PJ Carroll Collection and the James Coleman trilogy".
"In recognition of this, I was pleased last November to secure an additional €1.7 million to facilitate the Museum's proposal to expand its National Collection through the acquisition of key works by William Scott, Louis le Brocquy, Howard Hodgkin and Sean Scully. Such acquisitions benefit not just the Museum itself, but also other locations throughout Ireland via IMMA's National Programme and also through touring exhibitions like the Irish Art of the Seventies and Louis le Brocquy shows, which will go on show in the Crawford Gallery in Cork in March".
The Minister went on to say that he was particularly pleased to announce a further expansion in the Museum's education and community activities. "Ever since the Museum's foundation in 1991, IMMA's work in this area has provided ample evidence of the important benefits which can flow from a close and effective relationship between both the arts and education and the arts and the community. These programmes have made, and continue to make, an immeasurable difference to the lives of hundreds of people. 2007 will see a newly-designed programme for the youth sector, involving widespread consultations with national organisations serving young people. In addition, IMMA will be working with the Heritage Council and The Ark children's cultural centre to develop further strategies for children and young people across the arts and education sectors".
Commenting on the programme for the coming year, IMMA's Director, Enrique Juncosa, said: "A third consecutive increase in the budget has allowed us to put together an even more ambitious programme for 2007, which includes exhibitions dedicated to Modern masters like Georgia O'Keeffe, Miró, Calder and Lucian Freud. We have not forgotten our commitment to contemporary practice in any case and we are also presenting a number of new artists. IMMA will also be producing new books about the Collection and the education departments, whose budgets have been substantially increased. Finally, we are presenting a significant number of Irish exhibitions, like a full scale retrospective of Anne Madden. We hope to make IMMA more accessible and exciting, presenting things
Want to see what 24 hours of creative awesomeness look like? Click here.
This news message is supported by The Creative Finder, an online platform for photographers, illustrators, designers, and art directors to promote their portfolios towards new clients and collaborators. Creatives who wish to sign up for an account can save 10% off annual fees with promo code 'designtaxi'.
