Signal Arts Centre 30 Years of Making

Signal Arts Centre is celebrating over 30 years in existence with an exhibition in both Signal and Mermaid Arts Centres. The exhibition, entitled “Signal Arts Centre – 30 Years of Making” will open on Monday 29^th March and will run until 24^th April. Although the work will be hung in both galleries, the exhibition will be made available to view online due to the current restrictions.

First opened in June 1990 by a group of recently graduated artists, Signal is now entering its 31^st year. It was set up to provide an opportunity for other emerging artists to exhibit their work and to be a place of welcome and production for the many communities of Bray and North Wicklow. Their aim was to establish an artist run centre that would be a permanent part of the arts and local infrastructure.

Since then, Signal has gone on to provide over 600 artists with a chance to exhibit their first solo show, to work with a number of resource centres, schools and communities of interest; to buy its own building and to run a community employment programme specifically for those wishing to develop a career in the arts. It’s been some journey and it has been a privilege seeing many of those young artists become nationally recognised.

The exhibition will show works by 30 artists selected from the 600 artists who have previously exhibited in Signal.

Eleanor Phillips, Director of Signal Arts Centre, said: “In 2021 the Board of Signal is taking time to reflect on work done, plan for the future and develop the centre in order to provide better facilities and opportunities for artists and art makers/lovers. Part of that reflection is celebrating the work done and to do so with friends and fellow arts professionals. We are delighted to be honouring these achievements with the fantastic support of Mermaid Arts Centre in this group show”.

Speaking about the exhibition, Julie Kelleher, Director of Mermaid Arts Centre, said: “Mermaid and Signal Arts Centres have had a long and fruitful association. Mermaid is so pleased to partner with Signal to mark this very special anniversary and celebrate the achievements of the artists involved, and of Signal itself over the last three decades. In a time when there is enormous uncertainty for artists and the organisations that support them, it is a joyful and hopeful thing to be able to present this work, albeit online by necessity, as a reminder of the enduring positivity that art can bring to the lives of so many. We look forward to welcoming visitors through our virtual doors to enjoy this wonderful exhibition.”

Signal Arts Centre is looking forward to building new partnerships and refreshing old ones on their journey through the next 30 years and seeing their big dream: a purpose built visual arts centre, come to fruition.