Mythologies of the Personal and the Land, Westmeath Artists Award exhibition opened at Luan Gallery on Friday, 28th November 2025.
Luan Gallery, in partnership with Westmeath Arts Office, is delighted to present Mythologies of the Personal and the Land, the Westmeath Artists Award exhibition showcasing the work of thirty talented Westmeath artists, selected by guest curator Miguel Amado. The exhibition was officially opened at 6 p.m. on Friday 28th November, with addresses from Cllr. Paul Hogan, Leas-Chathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council; Laura McCormack, Acting Arts Officer, Westmeath County Council; and Miguel Amado, Director of Sirius Arts Centre.
The Westmeath Artists Award is a collaboration between Luan Gallery and Westmeath Arts Office, celebrating and supporting the development of visual artists’ practices and careers in the county, with funding from the Arts Council of Ireland. The Award exhibition showcases work by practicing professional visual artists from Westmeath, selected through an open call by guest curator Miguel Amado, Director of Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, County Cork.
All exhibiting artists were eligible for a professional development award, which was announced at the exhibition opening in Luan Gallery on Friday, 28th November. The winner of the Westmeath Artists Award 2025 is Celine Sheridan, who will receive the Luan Gallery Visual Arts Development Award of €1,500, along with additional professional development supports, including a future solo exhibition at Luan Gallery, a studio residency at Abbey Road Artists’ Studios, and a residency stipend and mentorship from guest curator Miguel Amado. The joint second runners-up, Aishling Muller and Mimi Seery, were each awarded a monetary stipend, mentorship from guest curator Miguel Amado, and residency opportunities at Cowhouse Studios and Sirius Arts Centre, respectively. Third runner-up Paul Roy received a monetary stipend and mentorship from guest curator Miguel Amado.
Carmel Duffy, Manager of Luan Gallery, said,
“We are delighted to continue this important partnership between the Arts Office and the municipal visual art gallery in supporting the professional development of practicing artists in County Westmeath. Now in its fourth year, the Award has once again attracted submissions of a very high standard, reflecting the breadth and diversity of artistic talent within the county. The Award also serves as an important platform for bringing these artists and their practices to the attention of leading curators and directors across Ireland, including this year’s guest curator, Miguel Amado. We look forward to working with and promoting the talented artists selected for this year’s Awards Exhibition.”
Fifty-nine works by thirty artists are showcased in the exhibition, with several of the artists exhibiting for the first time in Luan Gallery. Westmeath artists selected for exhibition include; Caroline Coyle, Martina Coyle, Teresa Doyle, Bertille de Lestrade, Mark Duffy, Helen Duncan, Lorraine Dunne, Mariia Golubieva, Tina Hayes, Lelia Henry, Liz Johnson, Fiona Kelly, Orla Kelly, Hilary Kinahan, Garry Loughlin, Ursula Meehan, Lorraine Mimnagh, Aishling Muller, Joan Mulvihill, Emma O’Brien, Valeriia Poliushko, EL Putnam, Catherine Rock, Paul Roy, Mimi Seery, Nóilín Shaw, Celine Sheridan, Annette Treacy, Ann Wingfield and Lesley Wingfield.
Laura McCormack, Acting Arts Officer for County Westmeath, said,
“The Westmeath Artists Award offers local artists the hugely valuable opportunity to exhibit their work in the award-winning Luan Gallery, and feature in its dynamic annual programme of contemporary Irish and international art. The award has, for the past three years, showcased the very best of Westmeath’s visual art. We are looking forward to seeing the selected works on display this December as we continue to celebrate local talent.”
Alongside the Westmeath Artists Award Exhibition, “Moments in Focus,” an exhibition of works by Athlone Photography Club, also opened on Friday, 28th November, in the Boardwalk Gallery at Luan Gallery. This exhibition highlights the impressive talent and wide-ranging photographic approaches of Athlone Photography Club members. It celebrates the individuality and creativity within the group, inviting visitors to explore sweeping landscapes that reveal the beauty of the natural world, portraits rich with personal narrative, dynamic street photography that captures the rhythm of daily life, and abstract compositions that inspire fresh ways of seeing.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired by the perspectives of local artists and photographers.
The opening took place on Friday, 28th November, at 6 pm, and all were welcome to attend. Both exhibitions will continue until the Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd February 2026, with seasonal closures over the Christmas period. Luan Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm. Admission to Luan Gallery is free.
For further information, contact Luan Gallery at T: 090 6442154 or E: info@luangallery.ie
