National Drawing Day at Luan Gallery – Saturday 16th May
All are invited to pick up a pencil and paper on Saturday 16th May, and take part in National Drawing Day at Luan Gallery, presented in partnership with the National Gallery of Ireland. This annual celebration brings together over 70 arts centres, galleries, museums, and libraries nationwide to mark and promote the practice of drawing.
Luan Gallery will celebrate the day with a dynamic programme of free activities inspired by its current exhibition, Divergent Lines. This contemporary exhibition explores the potential of drawing across a diverse range of artistic practices and media.
Taking place from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, the day’s programme offers a variety of ways to engage with drawing, including self-guided activities, artist-led workshops, live demonstrations, and a curator’s tour. Throughout the day, visitors can drop into the gallery to take part in self-guided drawing activities, with sketching materials and creative prompts available at the front desk. A dedicated response room will also provide resources for experimenting with three-dimensional approaches to drawing. All activities are free and suitable for all ages.
At 11:00 am, artist Michael Wann will lead a free, ticketed workshop, Drawing and Seeing: The Landscape in Charcoal, at Abbey Road Artist Studios. Designed for adults of all experience levels, this session introduces participants to landscape composition using charcoal. Through guided exercises, Wann will share insights into his artistic approach, focusing on line, form, and composition. All materials will be provided, and advance booking is required via luangallery.ie.
At 1:30pm, visitors are invited to join a free curator’s tour of Divergent Lines. This multidisciplinary group exhibition examines the expanded possibilities of drawing across a range of practices and media, highlighting abstract mark-making and the experiential qualities of line in space. The tour is open to all and does not require booking. From 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Michael Wann will present a live drawing session in the River Gallery at Luan Gallery. Working in charcoal, Wann will create a depiction of the River Shannon over the course of two hours. Visitors are welcome to drop in, observe the process, and gain insight into the techniques and decision-making behind the work.
Luan Gallery’s current exhibition DIVERGENT LINES features new work by artists Kiera O’Toole, Felicity Clear, Mary Ruth Walsh, Michael Wann, Lelia Henry, and Brian Fay. DIVERGENT LINES explores the potential of drawing across a diverse range of artistic practices and mediums, with a focus on abstracted methods of mark-making and the phenomenological exploration of line in space. Through various approaches, ranging from minimalist gestures to immersive environments, the works presented in this exhibition will investigate the potential of mark-making and the construction of line as tools for expression, spatial disruption, and conceptual inquiry. This exhibition is supported by funding from the Arts Council.
Information on the exhibition and accompanying upcoming events can be found on our website at luangallery.ie and on Luan Gallery’s social channels @luangalleryathlone on Instagram, and Luan Gallery on Facebook. Divergent Lines will continue until Sunday 21st June. Admission to the gallery is free for groups and individuals. Tours for schools and groups can be arranged by contacting the gallery in advance. Luan Gallery is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm and Sundays and Bank Holidays from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm.
