Last newsletter of the year!
December 06, 2024
Dear Members of theNCF,
welcome to our last newsletter of the year. Many events are coming to you this month.
Let us use this occasion to thank each of you that helped us with the space and the events and got involved in any way this year. It's the second year we are active in the area, but 2024 was very special as we got our spot in Pearse St. We still have a lot to do and figure out, but it was a very good start, so let's celebrate that and meet at the events listed below.
December events in theNCF
Art, Poetry & Song: An Evening of Solidarity with Gaza
On December 13th from 6 to 8 pm, theNCF and Kinvara Solidarity Palestine will host a solidarity event. We will be starting with an exhibition of artworks by children from Gaza, followed by readings from Palestine A-Z and Moon tell me Truth.
Books for sale. Kid Friendly. All Welcome.
Commonage.
Art show by theNCF member Emmanuel Matt from Sunday, December 15th to Saturday, December 21st, 3 to 7pm.
Opening talk with the artist on Saturday, December 14th at 7pm. All Welcome.
This show is looking at the landscape in its relationship to the farmed and the wild. The oldest preserved field systems in the world are under the bogs at the Ceide Fields, and great stretches of the land around them are used as commonage. This land lies somewhere between the bog and the tilled, between nature and the hand of the human. As an artist, I’m reworking the abstract and the figurative. Our landscapes become the subject of dreams, hopes and recollections of our past. Finding what is common between us and nature.
TheNCF Xmas Market
Come along on Saturday the 21st from 12 am to 6 pm and get yourself or your friends and family a unique last minute Christmas present or join us for a mulled wine and some tunes from 8pm for our last get together before the holidays.
Art and records on sale. If anyone is still interested on selling, there is 1 or 2 spots still open!
Ballina Punx Xmas Gig
TheNCF is hosting for the first time the annual Ballina Punx Xmas Gig. The Ballina Punx are a really valuable group in our community and we could be happier to start our hopefully long last series of gigs with this one.
Saturday 28th of December, 10 euro at the door!
Additional events by members
Small World by Ciara O'Hara in the Ballina Arts Center
There is still time to go and take a look at Ciara's show at he Ballina Arts Center.
Artist Statement below:
Using photographs from my travel as a starting point, this work wishes to explore the relationship between a travel snapshot, our associations with that place, and how we can relate to it as passers through. The works in this exhibition are inspired by a trip to Japan.
These landscapes are unique and serve as a natural identity. My work attempts to capture this identity, while acknowledging that we all perceive these scenes through the lens of our own personal experiences. While inspiration for this work comes from the real world around us, I wish to evoke a sense of otherworldliness, since perception can change our interpretation of reality. There maybe something hidden, missed or overlooked in the landscape.
Lockdown, the pandemic and a period of personal illness means, for me, the easiness of travel has been changed immensely. The artwork contains hidden elements which become visible after time spent observing them. Some details may be noticed, while others remain hidden, mirroring how we all perceive the world around us. It highlights how things can be in plain sight, but are still overlooked. Especially in a time when our attention is shaped by fast-moving visuals and short internet clips, limiting our ability to truly observe. This reflects my experience of having a chronic illness which can be described as a hidden disability.
Some of the works depict lone animals, appearing engrossed in their particular activity. Isolated, yet confident, they are at ease within their home environment. This contrasts with my experiences while exploring these new places, creating tension which provokes inquisitiveness on behalf of the viewer.