Art exhibition in Tipperary raises over €20,000 for people in Gaza

An art fundraiser in Thurles has raised over €20,000 for Doctors Without Borders.

The event was organised by Anne Hogan, who brought together several local artists from Tipperary to sell their artwork to raise much needed funds for Gaza.

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The exhibition took place between September 5 and 7, in Cabra Wetlands.

Artists who took part in the event included PJ O’Connell, Anne Mitchell, Catriona O’Connor, Frank Raffter, Siobhan Curran, Mary Scott, Lucy Lambe, Jackie Matthews, Vic Haywood, Michell Minton, Jennifer Ryan Kelly, Richie Quinn, Molly Cosgrave, Ger Long, Patricia Prout, Michael Fogarty, Mary Keneha, Jurga Ryan, Miriam O’Sullivan, Niamh O’Sullivan, and Anne Hogan.

Anne Hogan spoke with the Tipperary Star about the success of the event: “We had an opening on the Friday night and it was hugely supported by the public, and we did really very well. We must have had about 80 art pieces, and I’d say we sold every one of them except about two, which was brilliant. The Thurles artists, some of them gave two or three pieces of art. We had sculpture there as well. They all sold, it was brilliant.

“We had teas, coffees, it was a lovely social gathering as well. We had help donated from different people, people were very generous, I must say.

Anne devised the idea after seeing so much of the war in Gaza on the news, leading her to want to take action: “The idea came about because I was looking at the television and getting so distressed over what was going on, and I just said I have to stop looking at this and I have to think up something. So being an artist myself, this was the only thing I could think of, and then I rang around to all of my friends who are artists, and they jumped at the chance, every one of them, no one turned me down. We had about 30 artists. Some print, some watercolours, oil, acrylics, there was sculpture, bog oak, and slate work that one of the artists brought.

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“The Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there was never a lul. The crowds just came from everywhere. Everyone didn’t buy, but people put money in the buckets, and it added up. We were very happy with the €20,000 in that short length of time.

Since the event, the money has been donated to Doctors Without Borders, who have thanked the group for their generosity.