13 Dec 2012

EGM called for 15 December 2012 at 2pm

We are calling an Emergency General Meeting for this Saturday 15 December 2012 at 2pm in 126 Artist-run Gallery, Queen Street, Galway.

All current and past members welcome.




126 Artist Talk 4 | Declan Casey, Barry McHugh, Gerard Garvey

126 Artist Talk 4 | 11 December 2012 
126 presents
126 Artist Talk 4 | Declan Casey, Barry McHugh, Gerard Garvey

2pm | 11th December 2012
126 Artist-run Gallery | Queen Street | Galway
Graduate talk image
Image: Declan Casey, 2012
126 presents the fourth in a series of artist talks that aim to encourage critical discourse about contemporary art practice in Ireland.

Declan Casey, Barry McHugh and Gerard Garvey

Recent graduates, currently exhibiting in Breaking the line _ _ _ _  discuss their practice and how it has developed since completing art college in June 2012.

Declan Casey was born in Dublin, but lives and works now in County Limerick. Casey graduated from Limerick College of Art and Design with a BA in Sculpture and Combined Media.
Moby Strets is his alter ego, who questions the futility found in many aspects of contemporary living. This is done using both live and video performance.

Barry McHugh is from Largydonnell, Co. Leitrim and graduated from GMIT with a BA in Fine Art. Through incursions and re-appropriation of images, McHugh breaks the line of creation and looks at issues of ownership with regard to the printed image.

Gerard Garvey is from Ballinasloe in Co. Galway and graduated from GMIT with a BA in Sculpture. Garvey's work is based on sexuality, gender and the complexities that gay identities face with conforming to or rejecting society's stereotyping critical perceptions.



www.126.ie
 

6 Dec 2012

How to help 126


We would like to bring you up to date on 126 Artist-run gallery in Galway. Some of you will already have heard that we are facing the prospect of closure because of a drastic and sudden 64% cut of local funding. 126 is extremely important to many artists, curators, critics and administrators who have cut their teeth through this artist-led organisation. We need your help now to make some noise and lobby Galway City Council to review this decision as soon as possible. 
 
This funding cut has been sudden, and is not in line with other cuts to other arts organisations made by the council, and the board of 126 feels that there is a lack of understanding in regards to the cultural importance of 126.  

We would like you to write a letter of support for 126 to Galway City Council. The people to contact in Galway City Council that decide on our funding are Patricia Philbin ( <patricia.philbin@galwaycity.ie>), and her boss Thomas Connell (Director of Services, Economic Planning, HR, Corporate Services and Community & Culture
thomas.connell@galwaycity.ie )

The addresses for all city councillors and local TD's are below. Information that can be used to draft letters can be found in previous posts.


We hope to see you at our fundraiser, RENT EVENT, in De Burgo's this Friday 7th December 

126 membership runs from November of each year. You can drop into the gallery to renew your membership or download the membership form and use paypal on our website www.126.ie 

We appreciate your support.

Many thanks
126 Board
----------------------------------------------

Local Galway City Councillors
Tom Costello     <tcostello@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Michael J Crowe <mjcrowe@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Frank Fahey <ffahy@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Nuala Nolan     <nnolan@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Declan McDonnell <declanpmcdonnell@eircom.net>,
Mayor Terry O Flaherty <toflaherty@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Billy Cameron <bcameron@eircom.net>,
Colette Connolly <colconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Ollie Crowe <ocrowe@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Catherine Connolly <cconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
Peter Keane <pkeane@pmkeane.ie>,
Donal Lyons <donallyons@eircom.net>,
Níal McNelis <mcnelis@votelabour.ie>,
Hildegarde Naughton <hildegarde.naughton@gmail.com>

National Representatives: TD's
Noel Grealish TD (Ind) <noel.grealish@oireachtas.ie>
Séan Kyne TD (FG) <sean.kyne@oireachtas.ie>
Derek Nolan TD (LAB) <derek.nolan@oireachtas.ie>
Brian Walsh TD (FG) <brian.walsh@oireachtas.ie>
Éamon Ó Cuív TD (FF) <eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie>

President Higgins

4 Dec 2012

City Council funding update 3rd December 2012



Dear Supporters of 126

We feel it is necessary to bring to your attention the very serious issues suddenly facing 126 Gallery.

126 is a critically celebrated artist-run exhibition space in Galway city that promotes challenging and experimental art that would not be seen in commercial galleries or conventional institutions. Since its founding in 2005, 126 provides a place where artists can exhibit along with their local and international peers and influences. 126 is critically acclaimed because of its policy to programme new work and engage with art graduates. It is also important to remember that there is no municipal visual arts gallery in Galway City. 126 is the only place that fulfils this role, and on a completely voluntary basis.

126 relies on public funding to cover its costs. In 2012, The Arts Council provided €10,000 for programming and Galway City Council were asked for €15,000 in rental support. Until now, Galway City Council has provided full rental support of €15,000.

In August 2012 we received an Arts Grant from the Galway City Council of €1,500. Until today, we had only verbal assurances that Galway City Council would continue to provide 126 with the rental support on which the gallery depends as a non-profit organization. We have had no written notice of what we might receive since applying for the city arts grant in June 2012. We have had no notice that we might expect a huge cut. This is in contrast with the city arts strategy.

   Galway City Council approved Confidence in the Arts, Galway City Arts Strategy 2010-2013 in September 2010.

       In the opening paragraph the Strategy states:  A primary emphasis of the strategy is the development of policies which offer clarity in decision making processes and articulates how the City Council will work best with the various communities of the city (page 8)

       The Strategy recognises…deficits  in the city’s arts infrastructure, with particular necessity for provision of dance, music and visual arts (page 16)

       On the same page the Strategy clearly states that the City Council…will support artist led initiatives that are active in the city and encourage the development of ground-up approach to the use of its city spaces.
As of today, 3rd December 2012, we have been informed by Patricia Philbin, Galway City Council that our funding for 2012 is €4,000. The proposed rental support of €4000 represents a 64% cut in total funding from Galway City Council. While we understand that the overall Arts budget may have been cut by 10%, a 64% cut in our rental support seems largely out of proportion with reasonably expected reductions in funding. % is in relation to the full €15,000 being awarded.

While we are grateful for this financial assistance, €5,500 in total is insufficient  and will lead to the closure of 126 Gallery, in which Galway City Council is a major stakeholder.
By providing €15,000 in rental support, Galway City Council have benefited from the full-time work of 8 committed unpaid gallery technicians and administrators that programme and manage a critically acclaimed exhibition space, whose combined labour would otherwise cost the City Council at least €80,000 in wages.

Since 2008, 126 Gallery has hosted an extensive programme of exhibitions and events which include the works of 407 artists based both nationally and internationally. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. Many curators have started their careers in 126 Gallery. Emerging artists are championed by 126 and gain a valuable start in their career by exhibiting in the gallery.

The experience gained by the rotating board members in running 126 Gallery is an invaluable training ground and has been compared to the extensive knowledge acquired on a MA programme.

All of this is under immediate threat, and we are asking for your support.

It would be immensely helpful if you could take one minute to send a letter of support to 126, which we will use as support to help strengten our argument and persuade the Galway City Council to review their funding decisions. We have included a suggested text below that you could start with/edit if needed.

Many thanks and best wishes,
The 126 Board
126 Artist-run Gallery
Queen Street
Galway City


_________________________________________________

Draft letter of support for 126 Artist-run gallery

Dear Galway City Council
We are writing in support of 126 Artist-run gallery and ask that you maintain their previous level of funding that they can continue to provide an essential arts programme that contributes to the cultural life of Galway City. 

2 Dec 2012

126 needs your help to lobby Galway City Council



We know you love 126 and we need your help to lobby Galway City Council to come through with our funding for 2012. 126 have not yet received our 2012 rental support  funding from Galway City Council and we cannot get a clear figure as to what we can expect from them. We owe €4,500 in rent and on 20 December that will be €5750. We need to mobilise our previous board members and membership to make as much noise as possible. Galway City Council closes for Christmas on 16 December.

We've sent the letter below to all Galway City Councillors, local TD's and President Higgins. 126 needs you to lobby the local representatives to put pressure on to get us our money for this year and make sure we don't get cut next year as well.

Feel free to modify the letter, improve it and add your own experiences with 126. The email addresses are as follows:

Local Galway City Councillors
Tom Costello     tcostello@cllr.galwaycity.ie,
 Michael J Crowe <mjcrowe@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
 Frank Fahey <ffahy@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
 Nuala Nolan     nnolan@cllr.galwaycity.ie,
 Declan McDonnell <declanpmcdonnell@eircom.net>,
 Terry O Flaherty <toflaherty@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
 Billy Cameron <bcameron@eircom.net>,
 Colette Connolly <colconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
 Ollie Crowe <ocrowe@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
 Catherine Connolly <cconnolly@cllr.galwaycity.ie>,
 Peter Keane <pkeane@pmkeane.ie>,
 Donal Lyons <donallyons@eircom.net>,
 Níal McNelis <mcnelis@votelabour.ie>,
 hildegarde.naughton@gmail.com

National Representatives: TD's
Noel Grealish TD (Ind) noel.grealish@oireachtas.ie
Séan Kyne TD (FG) sean.kyne@oireachtas.ie
Derek Nolan TD (LAB) derek.nolan@oireachtas.ie
Brian Walsh TD (FG) brian.walsh@oireachtas.ie
Éamon Ó Cuív TD (FF) eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie

President Higgins

Many thanks! And hope to see you at our fundraiser, RENT EVENT, in De Burgo's this Friday 7th December

The 126 Board

-----------------------

Dear 



We feel it is necessary to bring to your attention the very serious issues facing 126 Gallery. 126 gallery is a critically celebrated artist-run exhibition space in Galway city that promotes challenging and experimental art that would not be seen in commercial galleries or conventional institutions.  Since its founding in 2005, 126 provides a place where artists can meet, talk and exhibit along with their local and international peers and influences. 126 is critically acclaimed because of its policy to programme new work and engage with art graduates. It is also important to remember that there is no municipal visual arts gallery in Galway City. 126 is the only place that fulfils this role.


126 relies on public funding to cover its costs. In 2012, The Arts Council provided €10,000 for programming and Galway City Council were asked for €15,000 rental support. Until now, Galway City Council has provided full rental support. This rental support is now under threat. The 2012 funding from Galway City Council has not come though yet. I urge you to lobby Thomas Connell (Director of Services, Economic Planning, HR, Corporate Services and Community & Culture
thomas.connell@galwaycity.ie ) to protect the level of rental support to maintain the future of 126 in Galway City. We cannot use Arts Council money to pay the rent, it is solely for programming purposes. We are aware of the difficulties in public financing but 126 plays a hugely important role in the visual arts in Galway. 126 represents outstanding value for money. Any reduction on the local funding would seriously threaten the existence of 126.

By providing €15,000 in rental support, Galway City Council benefits from the full-time work of 8 committed unpaid artists that programme and manage a critically acclaimed exhibition space. Board members give up to two years of their unpaid time to manage the gallery. Galway City benefits from a visual arts programme in 126 that leads the critical discourse on the west coast of Ireland. 126 won the Mayor's award in 2009 and 2010 in recognition for our outstanding commitment to community and voluntary activity and the impact we have made on the quality of community life in Galway City.
126 runs a year-round programme of exhibitions and talks. Since 2007, there have been 101 exhibitions and talks at 126 Gallery, all documented on our blog http://126gallery.blogspot.ie/
126 have hosted exhibitions by international artists; have exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy. We have partnered with NCAD, The Glucksman and artist-led spaces in Ireland. Our previous board members have exhibited in Dublin Contemporary 2011, San Francisco Bay Area and the Good Children Gallery, New Orleans among others. 126 have collaborated with Gregory Sholette, New York based Art Critic; have brought international artists to Galway including Swiss Artist Rainer Ganahl and Dutch based artist
 Parminderjit Singh Bhangoo among many others.

126 is run on a day-to day basis by a board of volunteers. The board of 126 is comprised of volunteers who are motivated by a passion for the arts and an intense interest in the cultural development of Galway and Ireland. The Board directly represents the membership, which is an expression of the most committed artists in the greater Galway area; it is on the basis of this relationship that the success and longevity of 126 is based.

We've met with Patricia Philbin in Galway City Council and are concerned as to our financial position and the level of support from City Hall. We would like you to lobby Thomas Connell on our behalf to deliver our 2012 funding and maintain our funding for next year.

Best wishes
The 126 Board