Aosdana calls for State supports for artists

Creative artists should qualify for social welfare payments, rent allowances and medical cards, the annual assembly of Aosdána has heard.

Yesterday's 22nd gathering of the artists' group called on the Department of Social and Family Affairs to review how it treats artists.

At present, the State fails to recognise the work or social input of artists, and the department treats their work as "non-employment", the meeting declared.

Earlier, the assembly elected 12 new members, including Irish Times columnist Michael Viney, in a private ballot from 23 nominations (see panel).

It also called for a change in the proposed route of the M3 motorway away from the archaeological heritage of the Tara/Skryne valley.

Proposing the motion on artists' social welfare entitlements, writer Margaretta D'Arcy said that in Canada and the Netherlands artists received benefits. It was completely wrong that in Ireland many artists had to "go off and work in factories" to support themselves.

It was different in the 1960s, she said, when society was much freer for artists.

"Then you could live for nothing, and doss down with friends, but today starvation is not good for the arts."

Last night a department spokesman said there were no plans to make special arrangements for artists. Exempting artists from the requirement to be available for work would raise issues about consistency of treatment with others claiming unemployment payments, he said.

Artist Patrick Pye reminded the meeting that all Aosdána members received an annual stipend worth over €12,000. Nothing the State would do could substitute for the public response to art, in the form of going to concerts, buying paintings or reading books.

Another artist, Alice Hanratty, said artists couldn't expect to be treated any differently from anyone else. Working in factories had enriched the lives of many artists. Later, writer Mannix Flynn walked out in protest at "unfair" attacks on the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the venue for yesterday's meeting.

Ms Hanratty had suggested that the "so-called Irish Museum of so-called Modern Art" be converted into a cultural complex for other arts uses. She said IMMA was little used and put to "haphazard" use.

The museum was "a shrine to certain very laudable but limited areas of artistic expression".

Mr Flynn, who sits on the board of the museum, said it was well attended and described Ms Hanratty's comments as outrageous. "This is a disgraceful way to respond to their hospitality," he said before leaving the meeting.

He later returned and proposed a vote of thanks to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, which the meeting approved.

The meeting passed a motion condemning the lack of accessibility to many major arts institutions in Dublin, including the Arts Council, Poetry Ireland, the Writers' Museum, the Contemporary Music Centre and the Joyce Museum, all of which are located in period buildings.

It also called on the Government to ensure implementation of a new EU directive next year, which will give visual artists a share of the profits when their works are resold.

Aosdána election: 12 new members

Twelve new members have been elected to Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists.

Eva Bourke, a German-born poet who has lectured extensively on modern Irish poetry.

Rhona Clarke, a composer of numerous orchestral, instrumental and vocal works.

John T. Davis, a documentary film-maker with more than 30 works to his name.

Donnacha Dennehy, a composer of acoustic and electronic music and the founder of the Crash Ensemble.

Benjamin Dwyer, a leading classical guitarist and composer.

Anita Groener, a Dutch-born painter who has lived in Ireland for over 20 years.

James McCreary, a printmaker who once worked at Harry Clarke's stained-glass studio. George Morrison, a film-maker and photographer whose work includes Mise Eire (1959) and Saoirse (1961).

John Noel Smith, a painter of large-scale projects whose work explores the boundaries between figurative and abstract styles.

Michael Smith, a poet who has also translated leading Spanish writers into English.

Michael Viney, a writer and Irish Times columnist on wildlife and other environmental themes.

Grace Weir, a visual artist who represented Ireland at the 2001 Venice Biennale.