THERE was a general air of contentment in IMMA on Wednesday night as artists and arty types alike wandered the corridors of the latest exhibition, The Pursuit of Painting. It was a veritable roll call of the European art world with Albert Hermann from Germany; American artist Jo Baer; Korean artist, Chung Eun-Mo (who is married to artist Stephen McKeana, curator of the exhibition); Irish artists Felim Egan, Richard Gorman and Ciaran Lennon; Scottish artist Leonard McComb; Paula Rego from Portugal; Peter Schermuly from Germany and Michael Williams from Stroud in England, all checking out their own and others' paintings.
Alice Pittaluga is a sculptor whose work has recently been on display in Merrion Square; she was accompanied by her husband Carlos Bueno, the Brazilian ambassador. Art insurer Louise Hallett popped over from, London and chatted with the Kerlin Gallery's David Fitzgerald and John Kennedy and Jorgensen Gallery's Antoinette Murphy.
New York lawyer Cormac O'Malley, whose family had donated a collection of 40 works to the museum and who is a member of the gallery's international council, also managed to make the opening.