Bantry Credit Union Office Artwork Project

Bantry Credit Union has announced details of a public competition to identify and select paintings for display in the credit union building. Having decided to invest in suitable artworks to decorate the walls of its offices, the credit union has opted to use this decision as an opportunity to promote local artistic talent. So, the public competition will be confined to people living in the Bantry area.

The emphasis in the competition is on open participation: a person does not have to be a professional artist in order to enter! All entries will be viewed by an adjudicating panel, who will select the winning entries on the basis of their artistic merit and suitability for display in a public office.

The credit union will pay €100 for each selected entry and will then be responsible for framing and wall-mounting the painting. It is anticipated that between ten and fifteen paintings will be selected. The credit union sees it as a ‘win-win’ situation, in which it gets suitable local artworks at a fair price and local artists have the chance to get their work displayed in a public office. It is also intended to arrange a function and associated publicity once the paintings are selected in the autumn.

The deadline for receipt of entries is 1 September 2008. Full details of the competition are set out in ‘Office Artwork Project – Specification and Rules re Entries’ which is available from the credit union. Anyone wishing to discuss the competition should contact Finbarr O’Shea (tel. 027-50535).

The public competition is only one strand of the credit union’s office artwork project. A second strand confined to senior second-level art students will take place in September, while another strand involves the BARA Camera Club providing a selection of photographs. A selection of old local and credit union-related photos and a commissioned piece for the entrance hall will complete the project.