New exhibition at South Tipperary Arts Centre celebrates the Women Artists Action Group
Celebrating WAAG where it all began
WAAG – an archive, revisits the Women Artists Action Group (1987-1991) through their archive and examines the lasting legacy and impact of the group on Irish Art. WAAG was founded in April 1987 in ClonmelClonmel, so it is timely to bring this exhibition, and this conversation, back to where it all started.
“There has been a huge increase in artistic and academic research around the arts landscape in 80s and 90s Ireland in recent years, particularly related to female artists. The fact that WAAG was founded here in Clonmel in 1987, makes it even more relevant and timely to bring this exhibition, and this conversation, back to where it all started, says Helena Tobin, Artistic Director & Curator, South Tipperary Arts Centre.
Active until 1991, WAAG was a collaboration of women artists, art historians, and professionals, working in the arts including Pauline Cummins, Alice Maher, Louise Walsh, Una Walker and Patricia Hurl, to name but a few. It was established in response to the exclusion of women artists in Ireland. The main purpose of WAAG was to highlight the work of female artists, to redress the imbalance in the selection process of that time, and to organise exhibitions and publications. Women Artist Action Group was a hugely successful organization throughout Ireland and became part of the International Association of Women in the Arts. (IAWA)
“It was a very exciting time to work for WAAG. The key word in the name was Action! We made exhibitions and publications, created a slide library, then the only way to promote our work, and we made international connections. So many of us are still actively making work nearly 40 years later” says artist Pauline Cummins
All the archival material in this exhibition is on loan from the National Irish Visual Arts Library (NIVAL) located at NCAD, Dublin and artist Pauline Cummins. NIVAL is a public research resource dedicated to the documentation of 20th and 21st century Irish visual art and design. NIVAL collects, stores, and makes accessible for research, an unparalleled collection of documentation about Irish art in all media.
A symposium looking the legacy of WAAG will take place on Saturday 10th May at STAC Chapel in Clonmel and will focus on themes around the power of collective agency and the importance of archives. Further details of this event and how to book will be available on the STAC website .
Supported by Arts Council of Ireland, Tipperary County Council, and Bealtaine Tipperary.