With the planned sell-off by the Republic's government of the state-owned Great Southern Hotels, the fate of the hotels' art collection became a controversial issue. On Monday came the news that the collection is to be handed to the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork.
This news coincides with the announcement of a new board at the Crawford. The sixteen (!) members are, the press release advises:
John R. Bowen
Board Chairman Crawford Art Gallery , Cork
Chairman and Chief Executive, The Bowen Group. Co-author of "Cork Silver and Gold – Four Centuries of Craftsmanship", published to mark Airgeadóir Exhibition at Crawford Gallery, one of the highlights of Cork's year as Capital of Culture. Appointed to the Board of Directors Cork Chamber of Commerce July 2005. John is strongly committed to the principles of corporate social responsibility and will steer the Gallery in its formative years as a National Cultural Institution.
Anne Harpur
Waterford based architect and business person. Member of the Garter Lane Arts Centre and has been particularly active in its redevelopment.
Maud Cotter
Artist and member of Aosdána since 2000. Born in Co. Wexford. Graduate of the Crawford Municipal College of Art, Co-founder and Director of the National Sculpture Factory, Cork City. Her work has featured in group exhibitions and solo projects in Europe and the USA since the early eighties. Former member of the Arts Council (1997 – 2003). Recipient of Guinness Peat Award for Emerging Artists and a Delfina Trust Residency Award.
Neil Prenderville
Presenter and Executive Producer of the Neil Prendeville Programme on Cork 96fm & 103fFM
Arts Patron, and free lance feature writer.
Michael F. Downes
Michael is an artist with over 40 years experience. He has exhibited at the Wexford Opera Festival, at Arts Week in Kilkenny and for Íontas in Sligo.
Charles Hennessy
Solicitor, Hon Degree Doctor of Laws, UCC 2003.
Former Chair National College of Art and Design, Chairman Cork International Film Festival, Board member of the Sirius Trust, Past-President Cobh and Harbour Chamber of commerce,
Member of An Taisce and of the Cork Environmental Council. Former member of the Arts council, the Irish Film Centre
Mary O'Donovan
Business person and company director. Apart from her business interests, she has a special interest in the visual arts and is also engaged in local community work.
Máirín Quill
Member Cork City Council. Member of the Board NCAD and Cork Opera House.
Barbara Patton
Non-Executive Director of EBS Asset Managers Ltd., Independent Management Consultant specialising in Services Marketing in the SME sector and part-time lecturer in the Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business Director of Social Innovations Ireland, Summit Investment Funds plc and Summit Mutual Funds plc..
Dr. Frances Ruane
Writer, lecturer, arts advisor and Business person. Former Chairperson of the Crafts Council of Ireland (1992 – 2003), former art critic for the Evening Press and subsequently for The Irish Times, former Board member of the Douglas Hyde Gallery (1983 – 1993) and television presenter. Art Advisor to AIB since 1980 and responsible for expanding its collection of 20th century Irish art.
Frank Hayes
Frank Hayes, from Kerry, worked as Attaché at the Irish Embassy in London from 1982 to 1991. He joined Kerry Group plc in 1991 and holds the position of Director of Corporate Affairs.
Cllr. Jim Corr
Cork City Council
Cllr. T. Brosnan
Chairman, City of Cork Vocational Education Committee
Joe Gavin
Manager, Cork City Council
Cllr. Barbara Murray
Cork County Council
Vera Kelly
Civil Servant, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism.
The Great Southern Collection and the new board come just before the Crawford becomes a National Cultural Institution. This is a very important change for the institution; it should greatly enhance its stature and financial security and muscle.
Without wishing to lump them all in the same basket, what is it about wartime leaders and painting? We have reported recently on sales, or attempted sales, of paintings by Franco (here) and Hitler (here). Painting as a relief from the stress of military mayhem?
