The Public Art Working Group (PAWG) was set up at the end of 2013 to implement the recommendations set out in the Grangegorman Arts Strategy. The aim of the PAWG is to build and connect with a diversity of artists and arts practices which will complement national arts policy and leave a lasting legacy in Grangegorman. The group consists of a range of experts from the world of art, architecture, and public services.
The members of the group are:
Cliodhna Shaffrey, Chair
The Agency is delighted to announce Cliodhna Shaffrey as the new Chair of the Public Art Working Group (PAWG). She takes the reins from Ciarán Benson, who has stepped down after serving as Chair since 2013. Cliodhna is director of Temple Bar Gallery + Studios. Her work spans a diverse range of policy, arts planning and curation, including working as an arts officer with two local authorities in Ireland, and as a visual arts advisor with the Arts Council Ireland. She has worked as an independent curator on exhibitions, festivals, public art commissions, collaborative research projects and writing.
Recently, she was part of the curatorial team (with Michael Hill) for artist, Niamh O Malley’s Gather – representing Ireland at the 59th Venice Biennale, 2022.
Robert Ballagh, Artist, Painter, Designer and Community Representative
Robert Ballagh lives in Stoneybatter. Born in Dublin in 1943, he studied architecture at the Bolton Street College of Technology. He worked as an engineering draughtsman, a musician and a postman before taking up painting in 1967. He represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale in 1969, and at graphic exhibitions in Florence, Ljubljana and Tokyo. He served as the first chairman of the Artists’ Association of Ireland when it was founded in 1981. He is a member of Aosdána. He published his autobiography A Reluctant Memoir in 2018.
Ronan McCrea, Technological University Dublin Representative
Ronan McCrea is an artist and lecturer in Fine Art at School of Art & Design TU Dublin, having previously worked at Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Limerick School of Art & Design and guest lecturer nationally and internationally.
In 2005 he was one of the seven artists to represent Ireland at the 51st Venice Biennale. In 2018 he was shortlisted for MAC International, Belfast. Other exhibition and projects include: Sinopale 8, Turkey 2021, Efference Copy Mechanism, Temple Bar Gallery 2019, We Are Center, CSS Bard College, New York & P! Gallery, New York, (2016); Green on Red Gallery, Dublin (2016/13/11); Fragments, Irish Museum of Modern Art (2015); Enclave Gallery, London (2014); The LAB, Dublin (2013); screenings at Cologne Kunstverein and Cobra Museum, Netherlands (2011); We are Grammar, Pratt Manhattan Gallery, New York, (2011); School Days, Glucksman Gallery, Cork (2010-11); Sinopale 3, Sinop Biennial, Turkey (2010); Coalesce: Happenstance, Smart Project Space, Amsterdam (2009); Nameless Science, Apexart, New York (2008); School Play, a public art commission for a CETNS school in Dublin (2009); Project Arts Centre (2003); Glassbox Paris (2002); Temple Bar Gallery (2000). His work is represented in the collections of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon, UCD, OPW, as well as numerous private collections. Ronan McCrea is represented by Green on Red Gallery, Dublin. In 2011 he completed a PhD at Ulster University under the supervision of Willie Doherty entitled Celluloid Materiality: Experimental Film, Photography and Contemporary Art. He was a board member of Project Arts Centre, 2004 – 2012; Curatorial projects include exhibitions at Goethe Institut Dublin 2003 – 04, Assistant Curator Collection Irish Museum of Modern Art 1996-98 and co-founder of Multiples in 1998.
Derek Dockrell, Architectural Advisor for Health Service Executive (HSE)
Derek is a Registered Architect and a Fellow of the RIAI. He has worked in private practice and the public service delivering award winning projects for clients. He has been involved in the redevelopment of Grangegorman for the HSE since 2010 including on the Planning Scheme, the Phoenix Care Centre, the Primary Care Centre and the Site Infrastructure and Public Realm project.
As an architect, Derek worked on the first phase of IMMA at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham completing research into art galleries and venues. He has advised public bodies, corporate and private clients on art policies, programmes commissions and collections; he has also managed commissions and facilitated artists through a variety of processes. He has also collaborated with artists and curators on a range of projects.
Public Art Coordinator
Vacant
Christina Kennedy, Senior Curator at Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
Christina Kennedy is Senior Curator: Head of Collections at IMMA since 2007. She has co/curated, edited and contributed to numerous exhibition publications including; Patrick Scott: Image Space Light, 2014;
Changing States: Contemporary Irish Art and Francis Bacon’s Studio, 2013; The Moderns, 2011; Post-War American Art: The Novak/O’Doherty Collection, 2010; The Burial of Patrick Ireland,2008;
The Studio, 2007; Beyond the White Cube: A retrospective of Brian O’Doherty/Patrick Ireland, 2006.
She has secured/overseen various donations to the National Collections and the launch of the IMMA Collection online.
Prior to working at IMMA, she was Head of Exhibitions at Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane, 1997-2007.
John Mitchell, Director, DMOD Architects
John Mitchell is an architect in private practice. A graduate of DIT (now TU Dublin) in 1978, he was the co-founder of Duffy Mitchell O’Donoghue Architects (DMOD.ie) in 1989. He is a fellow of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and is currently Chair of the Practice Committee. With James O’Connor of Moore Rubell Yudell, DMOD won the international competition for the new campus at Grangegorman and he has been centrally involved in many aspects of the project from master planning through planning to delivery of the recently completed first phase of the Public Realm project over the last seven years.
Ruairí Ó’Cuív, Public Art Officer Dublin City Council
Ruairí Ó’Cuív has been the Public Art Officer with Dublin City Council since 2008 devising and implementing the City’s first Public Art Programme. As an independent curator and arts consultant he co-curated the public art commissions for An Post GPO 1916 centenary with Valarie Connor and for Terminal 2, Dublin Airport with Clíodhna Shaffrey in 2010. Previous public art curation includes the programme for Kerry County Council 2003-2008, Health Service Executive, Department of Education and Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Previously he was director of Temple Bar Gallery and Studios (1991-96), curator of exhibitions at the Douglas Hyde Gallery (1989-91) and Royal Hospital Kilmainham (1987-89). In 1982 he co-founded Ireland’s first professional art installation and transport company. He began his career as a History of Art lecturer and also as an archaeologist. His writing has been widely published. He is a graduate of UCD having studied History of Art and Archaeology.
Eleanor Masterson, Health Service Executive
Terry Prendergast, Planner
Terry Prendergast is a professional planner with wide ranging professional and academic planning experience over 40 years. Her most recent professional role was as a Board Member with An Bord Pleanála. Prior to that she was Principal Planner with the Grangegorman Development Agency, overseeing all planning aspects of the Grangegorman development, in conjunction with lecturing in planning with the Technological University of Dublin. She is currently active in a range of voluntary, governmental, professional and educational roles and initiatives.
