Award Winning Disabled Artist Exhibits at Castle Espie Gallery...‘Our Local Wildlife - Night & Day ‘
On Tuesday 19th June at 10am Castle Espie Gallery, art through nature, will be opening the doors to ‘Our Local Wildlife Night and Day, this is the inspired title of an exhibition by Bangor artist, Kym Lennon, founder of Disability Matters North Down. The exhibition will run from Tuesday 19th June to 1st July 2012 and showcases Kym’s work who highlights, “the theme of my exhibition is night and day. I have used the scooter to record images around Castle Espie. I really enjoyed making the images of the wildlife which I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to (without the introduction of the mobility scooters). I wanted to show how time and light are dictated when one is allowed independence. Here I’m showing the wildlife at different stages during the day. I wanted to show that people could access the reserve at anytime.”
Kym went on to say, “Some of the images were taken late in the evening, when it was dusk, I made the sketches based on those images, and produced the finished paintings. I have shown movement, as movement is an issue here and work has been produced in 2D and 3D to show the importance of texture especially for those with visual problems. The continuity that has been exhibited and displayed are things in an open space, I have always wanted to show movement, to show the wildlife in a natural setting. I was also interested in colour and texture, a lot of the pieces are painting and plaster with no glass cover. Other pieces are put in box frames, whilst some of its selective art is OK for people to touch.
As the founder of Disability Matters North Down, Kym has played a key role in raising awareness about disabled issues in and around the area along with a 60 page access guide to bars and cafes in North Down for people with disabilities. Kym is a former art teacher, but had to retire in 2000 aged 33. ‘Whenever I had my tumour removed, I couldn’t use my right arm anymore, so I had to learn to use my left.’ The operation also meant that Kym has been a wheelchair user since. In spite of this she went onto produce an impressive portfolio of works which are displayed in a number of galleries throughout Ireland, receiving widespread critical acclaim. Kym won the James Kifedder award for her artwork within Northern Ireland and the William Keown PSNI trophy for promoting the advancement of people with disabilities. Castle Espie currently have 2 mobility scooters allowing all abilities to enjoy the reserve and wildlife.
Monies from work sold will be used for the progression of the WWT and Disability Matters North Down and Ards.
Castle Espie Wetland Centre is open daily from 10am. Access to the car park, visitor centre, shop, Loughshore Café and the Art Gallery is free of charge. The centre is accessible for wheelchairs. Normal admission prices apply to the reserve. For further information on forthcoming events, conservation campaigns etc please call 028 9187 4146 or visit wwt.org.uk/castleespie. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @wwtcastleespie.
