Donegal artist to feature in exhibition for people with intellectual disabilities

A talented Donegal artist has been chosen to participate in an inaugural exhibition to platform Artists with Intellectual Disabilities.

Victoria Kilpatrick from Ramelton is one of ten Artists chosen by Connections Arts Centre in Dublin to participate in the bold and innovative exhibition to be held later this month.

Vicky is inspired by the beautiful scenery in her own county and works with acrylic paint and stencils to capture its beauty.

She says “I love painting, it helps me to relax and clear my head. By working on the art course at Connections Arts Centre I felt listened to. I was able to be myself. I look forward to the course every week and am so excited about exhibiting my art work in the RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons)”.

Connections Arts Centre, dedicated to connecting members of the Disability community through the arts was the brainchild of Miriam Spollen, a long-time advocate of, and worker in the Arts and Disability sector.

“I lost my job in 2021 due to Covid, but really it was a blessing in disguise as I now had time to develop a business idea that I had been contemplating for over 10 years. In the mist of Covid, Connections Arts Centre (an online platform) was developed to connect and support people with disabilities through the Arts”.

Miriam says that the reaction to the upcoming exhibition in the RCSI is hugely positive and encouraging

“It is a wonderful achievement for the artists themselves first and foremost, and we are truly heartened by the response we are receiving from the broader public, both business and community”.

“We have received some very welcome financial support for this programme from the Bank of Ireland’s ‘Begin Together Arts Fund’ in partnership with ‘Business to Arts’

“We had a very high level of entries for the exhibition, 67 in all and the quality was superb. It was so difficult whittling the list of exhibitors down to just 10 but really all the artists who got involved in any way are beacons of light for artists with intellectual disabilities. Our plan is to run the programme again in 2023 to support a new cohort of Artists”.

“We’re all so exciting about this forthcoming exhibition. The Artists themselves can’t wait and we can’t wait to showcase their incredible talents”.