A Collection of Conversations – A Dementia Inclusive Exhibition

Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda

17 June – 24 September 2022

Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire

16 June – 31 August 2022

Book for Exhibition Reception Opening – June 17th at 11am

From mid-June two neighbouring art galleries, in Dún Laoghaire and Drogheda present A Collection of Conversations, a dementia inclusive exhibition. The artworks included are from the dlr County Collection and the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Gallery, and the exhibition has been specially selected by artists Claire Halpin, Julie Merriman and Orla Goodwin for visitors living with Alzheimer’s and dementia. A series of free dementia inclusive events and tours will take place throughout the exhibition run, inviting those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia and their carers/ families to the galleries for visual, musical, olfactory and movement-based sensory experiences.

The exhibitions include a wide range of engaging art works by important modern and contemporary artists where work from the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda featuring artists including Gerard Dillon, Evie Hone, Mary Swanzy, Nano Reid, William Leech, Nathaniel Hone, Diana Copperwhite, Anthony Haughey, and many others will be on view at dlr LexIcon; while a selection of work from the dlr County Collection, works by Mainie Jellet, Melanie le Brocquy, Paul Hallahan, Bassam Al Sabah, George Potter, John Behan and many others from the dlr Collection will be presented at Highlanes Gallery.

Speaking about the selection of artworks, Claire Halpin, Julie Merriman and Orla Goodwin said:

“A Collection of Conversations reflects the rich and engaging conversations we as Azure-trained facilitators have had with dementia-inclusive groups looking at artworks in the two Collections, the tangents of discussions, the listening, the looking, the back and forth, exchange of stories inspired by what we see in the artworks.  We considered what it means to bring together and exchange and share the two collections…Artworks have the power to takes us to different places, explore, imagine, reflect, feel mindfulness and most importantly to enjoy a good chat and good company.”

Highlanes Gallery, said:

“Partnership and collaboration is a constant in Highlanes Gallery’s work, and working with three highly informed and experienced artists to curate from our Collection and the dlr County Collection considering people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia this summer is a new and exciting initiative that I hope will benefit and support families and carers, and create an awareness among the citizens about the value of connecting with visual art and creativity. The Creativity in Older Age Scheme 2022 is a fantastic opportunity to create a vibrant and positive programme for people with dementia living in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Drogheda and the North East, and we are very grateful for the support of Creative Ireland and the HSE who support our Dementia-Inclusive Gallery Tours in both geographies.

The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 17 June in Drogheda and runs until Saturday 24 September at Highlanes Municipal Art Gallery, Drogheda. (Please note that Highlanes Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday).

The exhibition opens to the public on Thursday 16 June in Dun Laoghaire and runs until Wednesday 31 August at the Municipal Gallery, dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire. (Please note that dlr LexIcon is closed over Bank Holiday weekends).