Art exhibition set to bring significant interest in Mayo town

Mayo's latest art exhibition, The Crow Gallery, is opening in Westport during Westival 2025, the town's upcoming arts and music festival. 

The exhibition, which will be in the vacant The Local public house on Castlebar Street, will include art from local artists with disabilities as well as artists who submitted work through an Open Call on the theme of disability justice.

The work will explore perceptions of disability, challenge attitudes, examine ableism, and spark dialogue and discussion of the lived experience of people with disabilities. It will look at what meaningful inclusion is, promote visibility, contribution, and community, and deliver a positive shift in how society views difference.

This is the first stage of a longer-term project that hopes to deliver a permanent gallery, coffee shop, gift shop, and artist studios where disabled and non-disabled artists can work side by side.

The goal is that people with disabilities will vision, plan, and run the space with whatever level of support is needed. Ultimately, the Crow Gallery will be a community space where people of all ages and abilities can meet and share ideas and time.

This first stage will allow the impact of the exhibition and the gallery to be measured and assist in the development of a long-term plan. It will also allow exploration of what else the gallery space could support: youth gatherings, writing
workshops, older folks meetings, and plenty besides.

Anna Wall is the driver behind this project. She has seen, through research and through the lives of those around her, the gap in opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities.

Maitiu Quinn, a local artist, and Amber Walsh, her daughter, were her inspirations. The Crow Gallery idea was chosen to be part of the Ideas Academy run by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland in 2024.

In 2025, she participated in a Mayo County Council Arts Office Workshop facilitated by the artist Kari Cahill, which
helped put an ambitious and comprehensive plan together. The development of The Crow Gallery would not have been possible without the advice and support of many local artists and creatives.

Cas McCarthy, Fiona Keane, Christine Prescott, Caroline Masterson, Mags Duffy, Dearbhla Ryan, and Katriona Gillespie have all been vital brainstorming buddies.

Paul Michels gave the use of the building, Frank O’Reilly compiled the poster, Charlotte Murray assisted with social media, while Saoirse Wall assisted with design of the logo.

The official opening will be on Wednesday, October 22, at 8pm, and there will be an earlier opening at 2pm for those who prefer a quieter daytime opening.

An iDonate page has been set up to raise funds for the upcoming exhibition. The funds will cover signage, equipment,
artists' fees, lighting, and other expenses. Any excess funds will go towards a website and starting the next stage of the project. The iDonate page can be found here.