Carrick-on-Suir concert and exhibition celebrated the creativity of local women artists

The Through her Eyes concert and exhibition staged at Brewery Lane Theatre to celebrate International Women's Day was a sell out and raised more than €1200 for Carrick-on-Suir's Tudor Artisan Hub's planned facelift.  

The show on Saturday, March 7 featured performances from 17 women from Carrick-on-Suir, the Suir Valley region and beyond and an eclectic exhibition of art by artists, whose work is on display and sale at the Tudor Artisan Hub on Carrick-on-Suir's Main Street. The exhibition was curated by Mia Carney. 

The evening of entertainment was a mix of original and cover music and song, drama, interpretive ballet, recitations. 

Singers, songwriters and musicians who performed at the event were: Breege Phelan, cello player Caoileann O'Mahony, singer Marie Sweeney accompanied by her 14 year-old daughter Holly on piano, Kate McDonald, sisters Aisling and Saoirse Cummins and Heather Comerford. 

Thirteen year-old  Annie O'Keeffe, a niece of Tudor Artisan Hub owner Linda Fahy performed an interpretive ballet dance she devised. Recitations were delivered by Raika Tienert,Theresa Jones, Bernie Condon, Mawie Barrett, Eileen Acheson, Mary McGrath, Joelene Lyons and Margaret O'Brien, who runs the Writing Changes Lives creative writing workshops. Margaret co-produced the event with singer/songwriter Breege Phelan and was also the show's narrator. During the show, eight international women living in Carrick staged a  “flash mob” from the audience.   

The visual art exhibition on the theme of Woman was curated by artists Mia Carney and Renée Ní Gig. It comprised art created by Mia and Renee, Sheila Wood, Catriona MacDonald, Nicola Chestnutt, Mary Nolan, Breda Power, Sophie Carpentieri, Aislinn and Roisín Duggan.  

Linda Fahy described the concert and exhibition as a “liberating, impassioned and inspiring” celebration of women in the arts. 

She said the concert and exhibition attracted a full-house at Brewery Lane Theatre and the funds the event raised will go towards funding the painting of the exterior of the Tudor Artisan Hub and new signage for the building. 

Ms Fahy paid tribute to everyone who attended and contributed to the event by sharing their time and talent. She also thanked the  concert and exhibition organisers, the show's technical team, Brewery Lane Theatre volunteers and the artists who donated prizes for the raffle.

More of Anne Marie Magorrian's photos from the Through Your Eyes show and exhibition are published in the print edition of The Nationalist now in shops.