Artists invited to work with Westport community on public art commission

MAYO County Council has announced a public art opportunity in Westport town.

The commission is a unique opportunity for a professional artist(s) to collaborate with the local community of Tubber Hill, Westport, and the surrounding area on a public art project.

Proposals are welcome from both individuals and collaborative artistic teams. The commission is open to all art forms, including visual art, dance, film, literature, music, theatre, digital arts, performance, live art, multimedia, video art, sound art, socially engaged, participatory, research based, etc.

Proposed outcomes can be ephemeral, temporary, or semi-permanent in nature. Mayo County Council are seeking innovative and imaginative proposals that will involve artist(s) working with the local community to co-produce/co-design a public artwork/project that will be made available for wider audiences to experience.

Tubber Hill housing development was built in two phases, in 2008 and 2016. The development is adjacent to the new primary care centre, the railway walk (Westport greenway), and is located at one of the highest points of the town with views of Croagh Patrick and the surrounding landscape.

The development was designed to be immediately accessible to off road walking and cycling routes into the town centre schools, recreational facilities and the Quay area.

It was built with sustainability in mind, maximising on solar heat and light gain and the homes are also well insulated.

The Tubber Hill development represents a merging of the old and new as it is located close to the original streets of the planned 18th century estate town.

This commission is part of Mayo County Council’s Public Art Programme, funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Per Cent for Art Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to commission artists to create new work.

There will be an online information session for artists on April 28. Those interested can register by emailing Aoife O’toole, acting public art coordinator, on aotoole@mayococo.ie. The application deadline is May 31 and the successful artists will be announced in June.

Further information and submission details can be found in the artist’s brief available online: https://www.mayo.ie/en-ie/your-council/services/arts/public-art/current-projects.