Gold for Waterford Gallery of Art’s Olympic-themed exhibition
Waterford Gallery of Art was delighted to receive the ‘Best Exhibition of the Year’ award for its Olympic-themed ‘Muscles and Mind’ exhibition at the recent Waterford News & Star Green Room Awards 2025.
The revival of the modern Olympic Games in the late 1890’s by Baron Pierre De Coubertin embodied the ideal of a marriage between ‘Art and Sport, Muscles and Mind’. The ‘Muscles and Mind: Irish Art Olympians’ exhibition coincided with the launch of the Paris 2024 Olympics and told the story of arts inclusion in the games, and displayed works by the Irish artists that participated.
With support from Waterford City and County Council’s Arts Office, Creative Ireland, and the Olympic Federation of Ireland, the exhibition featured artworks from the Waterford Art Collection, as well as loans of work by some of Ireland’s most renowned artists who competed for their country between 1924 and 1948.
Artists exhibited included Jack B. Yeats, Letitia Hamilton, Seán Keating, Mainie Jellett, Fr. Jack P. Hanlon, Desmond Broe, Flora Vere O’Brien, Ina Boyle, Stella Steyn, Hilda Roberts, Sir John Lavery, Sir William Orpen and more.
The exhibition was a fantastic success for the gallery with visitors and artists – and for achieving great local and national press coverage, including curator Luke Currall featuring on the Moncrieff Show on Newstalk, Irish Times, RTE, the Independent and more.
The gallery was also grateful to be acknowledged and nominated for further awards including for their current ‘Bodies’, exhibition, ‘The People’s Choice Award’, and for the ‘Outstanding Arts and Cultural Event of the Year’.
Luke Currall, Visual Arts Co-Ordinator thanked all who visited, supported, exhibited, loaned work and nominated them, saying, “‘Muscles and Mind’ was a delight to work on, full of discoveries and surprises, and made us a lot of new friends on the way.
“We would particularly like to thank Pat McEvoy, Mary Frances Ryan and all at the News & Star, WLRfm and Theatre Royal. The awards are a fantastic evening showcasing the incredible amount of artistic talent, dedication and energy we have here in Waterford.
“Congratulations to all nominees and award winners, and here’s to a fantastic year ahead.”
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