Mayo marks milestone at Art in Every Place celebration
THE Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and Ireland’s 31 local authorities, including Mayo County Council, marked 40 years of partnership at a special event, Art in Every Place, held in Limerick City Gallery of Art.
The reception was attended by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, alongside representatives of the Arts Council, the County and City Management Association (CCMA), other local authority representatives, and arts officers from across Ireland.
The partnership between the Arts Council and local government began in 1985 with the appointment of the first county arts officer in Clare County Council and the establishment of the State's first local authority arts office in 1986. Today, all 31 local authorities in Ireland has an arts office, embedding arts expertise in local government and supporting artists and communities in every city and county.
Between the years 2005 and 2025, €2.6 billion was jointly invested in the arts through this partnership, strengthening cultural infrastructure and widening access to the arts in every county.
The collaboration has transformed how people experience the arts locally. Through joint investment, local authorities and the Arts Council have supported venues, festivals, youth arts, public art programmes and artist supports across the local government sector.
Minister O’Donovan commented: “Over four decades, this collaboration has changed the cultural landscape of Ireland, supporting artists, strengthening communities, and ensuring that people in every corner of the country can experience and participate in the arts close to home.
“Today is an opportunity to celebrate that achievement, to acknowledge the dedication of everyone involved, and to look ahead to what this partnership can continue to deliver for communities across Ireland.”
Maura McGrath, Chair of the Arts Council, said: “For 40 years, the Arts Council’s partnership with local government has played a central role in bringing the arts into everyday life in every corner of Ireland. Working closely with Arts Offices throughout the country, this partnership has transformed access to the arts - supporting artists locally, deepening connections with communities, and ensuring that where you live or who you are never limits your access to creativity. This anniversary celebrates the power of that partnership and looks ahead to the next chapter of art in every place, for everyone.”
Joanne Grehan, director of services with Mayo County Council, commented: “Forty years of partnership between local authorities and the Arts Council represents a significant shared commitment to the arts in Ireland. Most people's experience of the arts begins at local level, and sustained investment in those experiences is essential.
“As we mark this milestone, Mayo County Council remains committed to working with the Arts Council, to embed the arts in the daily lives of everyone who lives, works and invests in Mayo, and to fully realising the social and economic contribution the arts make to our communities.”
The Limerick event reflected on key milestones in the partnership, from the first arts office in Clare, through the national roll-out of arts offices under Better Local Government in 1997, to the Arts Act 2003, which placed arts planning on a statutory footing for local authorities. It also highlighted the impact of joint investment in infrastructure, public art, festivals and artist supports across the country.
Through its core themes - supporting artists; children and young people; communities; public art; festivals; arts infrastructure; and arts officers - the partnership reaches into every aspect of local cultural life.
The partnership is underpinned by A Framework for Collaboration, the joint agreement between the Arts Council and the CCMA. Each local authority in the country has its own strategic arts plan, aligned to its County or City Development Plan and national arts strategies.