A regional adjunct to Iontas, Sligo Art Gallery's North West Artists Exhibition makes its annual appearance for 2001. Viewed in some quarters as Iontas's country cousin, the North West Artists Exhibition is an important platform for the next generation of visual artists in the region. While there is obviously a sense of inclusiveness at work in the selection procedure, the 133 works on show give some indication of the considerable level and quality of arts activity to be found.
Perhaps not surprisingly, in view of Sligo's artistic heritage, landscape painting in its many guises figures large in the exhibition - and certainly the sculpture and print categories suffer as a result. Nevertheless, this is a generally solid show with a good number of notable inclusions.
Irene Hegarty achieves a drama of tempestuous space in her oil and pastel Cold Air III, and there is rich colour and assured artistic vision in Cormac O'Leary's trademark landscape compositions. Marianne Heemskerk's strong, rich and muscular paintings offer more than a nod towards her expressionist roots, contrasting with the ephemeral fragility of Anna Marie Dowdican's sensitive, atmospheric Morning Docks.
SinΘad Fox achieves an effective sense of movement in small, blurred views from a car (Journey series), and Caitl∅n N∅ Gallach≤ir has produced a powerful, brooding mood in her turbulent painting of derelict buildings.
The enduring simplicity of Aisling Patricia Kagerer's na∩vely appealing There Is No Place Like Home finds a strange echo in Trish Bushe's arcane, fascinating Anseo series of intimate overpainted print images.
Also noteworthy are Elizabeth Byrne's small, eloquent and measured etchings, in particular the overworked Mountain I, and the compelling theatricality of Colm Rooney's alienated Lost Youth.
Drawing is also alive and well, as evidenced in Catherine MacConville's compelling, reflexive, large-scale drawings On the Sea of Sore Hearts and Tom O'Rourke's fluid figure studies.
Runs until October 27th
