Luan Gallery
Founded 2012
Location Elliott Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath N37 TH22
Website athloneartsandtourism.ie
Municipal Visual Art Gallery located in Athlone, the heart of Ireland, on the banks of the River Shannon.
History
As the Municipal art gallery and hub of visual arts activity in County Westmeath, Luan Gallery plays a vital role regionally and nationally by presenting a wide range of art exhibitions, outreach programmes and installations.
It is the first purpose-built municipal visual art gallery located in the midlands, opening in November 2012 and represents a significant development for the arts in Ireland.
A total of €3.4 million was invested in the development of the gallery by the Border Midland and Western Regional Assembly, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Athlone Town Council.
The 575 M2 gallery was designed by Keith Williams Architects who also designed the National Opera House in Wexford and the Chichester Novium Museum.
The gallery is located on an impressive site overlooking the River Shannon, adjacent to the town’s historic bridge, Athlone Castle and the Catholic Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. The space adapts the town’s historic 1897 Father Mathew Hall into a new gallery, adding a new wing with state-of-the-art audio visual capabilities and a riverfront gallery overlooking the Shannon.
The gallery promotes a dynamic contemporary visual art programme of both established and emerging artists from home and abroad and aims to place visual artists at the heart of its activity. It offers visitors a unique cultural tourism experience for the community and visitors to Athlone and beyond.
Abbey Road Artists’ Studios – The Studios offer a dedicated space in Athlone town for local and visiting artists. It consists of four individual artists’ studios as well as a large multi-purpose upstairs space that hosts a variety of community cultural events including exhibitions, performances, workshops and seminars.
