Longford Leader gallery: Lismacaffrey NS pupils ‘paint a memory’

The competition required the pupils to create a collaborative artwork inspired by memories of people in and history of their local area.

The pupils researched specific local people and local buildings using local publications and the internet.

Pupils were also encourage to chat to older family members and neighbours. In addition children also shared their own memories of living in or moving to the local area. The title they chose for their entry is ‘Shining Light’ on our Memories of our Locality and its People.

The artwork is multi-media. They created a telescope sculpture influenced by a local landlord, William E Wilson (1857 – 1908) who lived in a house called Daramona where he built an observatory which held a Howard Grubb telescope that is now housed in Liverpool, Merseyside Museum.

Wilson also built “Streete Institute” in 1856 where he gave talks about his findings on astrology to locals and organised projected light shows for children.

The words “Knowledge is Power” are carved in stone above the entrance of ‘Streete Institute’ and this is what made Edward Wilson special for the children, that he always shared his knowledge and experience to the local community.

The artwork submitted by the pupils embraces this sentiment as they undertook to replicate a slide show using a projector placed inside their telescope sculpture, projecting images of all their collaborative artwork that they have created, thus sharing knowledge through a light show like Wilson had done. Their other artwork included pop-up drawings and paintings of local buildings (Coolamber Manor, Kildevin House, Streete Institute, Glebe House), a model of Streete Parish, a local circus scene and the footing of turf.

The pupils were very fortunate to have parents Mel French and Gerard Leslie to guide and support them on their project journey.

Their entry was submitted digitally before the Christmas holidays and it was with great delight and pride that the school received an email informing them that they had been selected as the overall winner in the Leinster Primary School Category of the Jack B Yeats: Painting & Memory Schools Competition.