Exhibition ‘a first’ for Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed in Thurles

A unique and very colourful inter-generational art exhibition, featuring 72 impressive works by talented students of Colaiste Mhuire Co-Ed, Thurles, and parents and grandparents marked the school’s first Wellbeing through Art Week.

It was officially launched by Ms Melanie Scott, the Arts Officer for North Tipperary, at a convivial function, attended by some 200 people of all ages in the Colaiste, last week. And it was so successful it is now planned to develop further next year the creative project celebrating the individual and the imagination.

School Principal, Mr Denis Quinn, was quite overwhelmed by the “unbelievable buzz” in the school's Art-Room for the week with students rising to “impressive levels of responsibility and leadership”.

Proud of his students, Mr Quinn said the inter-generational exhibition was unique and a “first” for the Colaiste and the level of involvement by parents, students and grandparents was “unbelievable”.

The novel Wellbeing Week project featured art, sport, games, hill–climbing on the Devil’s Bit and a visit to Templemore Park, whole school meditation (when all classes came to a halt to enable young folks to reflect on their lives for five minutes), baking and cooking, Chinese calligraphy, animals (with a visit from an animal rescue personality), still life, music, walking, yoga, Easter Egg hunt and many other activities involving the school and wider community.

The accent was on positivity in all its forms and promoting positive thinking. And all around the Colaiste were paintings and quotations highlighting positivity, including takeaway “positivity scrolls” with quotable quotes underlining the power of positive thinking.

Ms Scott lauded the wide range of creative work in various forms and stated that there was a ”healthy sense of humour” there also. She remarked we all need to create space, whether for art, drawing or walking.
All classes from First Year to Sixth Year were involved and young folks were asked to “step back and take a moment to enjoy and appreciate what’s around you”.

The whole week was all about encouraging young people to realise their uniqueness and individuality and to enable them to dwell for a while on their inner selves, hopes and dreams. The inspiring and revealing evening, was compered by Ms Regina Dorney, Artist and Art Teacher, who welcomed Ms Scott.

Mr Quinn lauded Ms Dorney and Ms Deirdre Durack, both of whom initiated this so exciting art project.

As Ms Scott noted; “This was more than an art exhibition and had a whole school approach”. She lauded the confidence of the students who had all taken pride in their work.

The exhibition was visited on a number of occasions by a clearly impressed Ms Scott, who was presented with beautiful art works by students, Maria Lanigan and Roisin Ryan. And Mr Quinn saluted in particular two outstanding students, Kevin Fitzgerald and Sophie
McDonnell.