At Solstice Arts Centre · Railway Street, Navan, Co. Meath
Only the published dates are confirmed for this programme.
The First Frontier Was the Horizon gathers emerging and established contemporary artists with connections to County Meath for a group show marking Solstice Arts Centre’s 20th anniversary. It opens on Saturday 12 September and runs through to Saturday 24 October, with a public opening reception on Friday 18 September from 6 to 8pm.
The exhibition spans painting, photography and sculptural installation, and brings together nineteen artists with roots or ongoing connections to the county, including Rachel Clarke, Kevin Cosgrove, Paul Gaffney, Aileen Hamilton, Penelope Lacey Monaghan, Ben McCabe, Lesley Ann O’Connell, Carol O’Connor, William O’Neill, Annabel Potterton, Charles Tyrrell and Suella Wynne among others. Rather than a themed curatorial statement imposed from outside, the show works as a survey of what Meath-connected artists are actually making right now, spanning practices from established painters to newer names showing at Solstice for the first time. Running it as part of the centre’s 20th anniversary programme gives it a retrospective weight beyond a standard group show, positioning it as a statement about the strength of the county’s visual arts scene two decades after Solstice first opened its doors. The opening reception on 18 September is the best chance to see the work with the artists present, but the exhibition is free and open with no booking required for the full six week run.
Solstice Arts Centre is Meath’s main publicly funded arts venue, with three gallery spaces alongside its theatre and cinema programme.
Solstice Arts Centre is on Railway Street in Navan town centre. Bus Eireann and Dublin Coach serve Navan from Dublin in around an hour, with the bus stops a short walk from the venue. Drivers can use metered on-street parking on Railway Street or the Fairgreen car park off Circular Road. Navan sits on the N3 roughly 50km north-west of Dublin.
Navan sits where the Boyne and Blackwater rivers meet, with cafes and restaurants around Trimgate Street nearby. There is more to see in Navan and across Co. Meath.
Heading to Solstice Arts Centre in Navan? Meath has plenty more to see. Read the Navan area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
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