New sensory art exhibition now open at Ballymena Central Library

Visitors can view and feel a variety of clay, glass and sensory painted artwork produced from a series of workshops over the past five years - some created in artists’ own homes through online workshops during the pandemic; face to face sessions at the Ballymena library; and glass and clay pieces created as awards for the Handa World Golf Championships in 2021, played in Portmarnock, Dublin with competitors from Europe, USA and Canada.

Guide artist Helen Bradbury said, “I’ll admit, with some of the projects being particularly visual, I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to work. But through dialogue we were able to bring people through and I know the response to the exhibition has been that you would not know that three totally blind people were involved in the work.”

Ann McKeown, one of the participating artists said, “I loved it. I don’t want it to end. I had a wonderful time and the artwork produced by everybody was fantastic. The friendships we made were fantastic. We all got on and everyone helped each other and Helen was always there if you had any difficulties. We just had a ball.”

Another participating artist, Patricia Martin said, “It was fantastic to have the workshops over zoom during the lockdown, being able to do something with other people, and getting your hands dirty. I just loved making something from nothing, building it up over time and seeing how we got on, it was great.”

Torie Tennant who is totally blind, said “It was fantastic to have the guidance catered to people with all different levels of vision. For example, someone who has lost sight in later life can still visualise what different shapes and colours are, whereas for the likes of me who’s never had any vision, I had to more wing it and go with the flow. But it was fantastic. Even on Zoom I felt included right from the start.”

Una Mulgrew, Community Connection Coordinator with sight loss charity RNIB (the Royal National Institute of Blind people) thanked funders and NI Blind Golf for their interest in the collaboration: “We would like to say thank you to NI Blind Golf who had the vision to want to present golfers with awards created by local blind and partially sighted people, and to the winners who lent their awards to raise awareness of the positive consequences of using art to enhance lives.

“Also to Ballymena Central Library for hosting us, Arts Council NI and IKEA for their generous funding and all our participating and guide artists. We’re thrilled with how it’s all turned out.

“The exhibition will be on show at Ballymena Central library for the public to see, and feel, until mid May. Also, on the second Monday of each month, at 10.30 to 12.30pm anyone with sight loss is very welcome to come along for a monthly meet up."

For further information on RNIB, call 0303 123 9999, email [email protected] or visit rnib.org.uk/NICommunityConnection