A worthy showcase for artistic talents of Cork

May is a busy month on the art events calendar, as the annual end-of-year art and design college exhibitions begin to take place.

Douglas Street Campus of Further Education and Training is inviting the public to its annual student exhibition this evening, Friday, May 23, at 6.30pm.

Unfolding Now is the title of this year’s exhibition, a nod to the students’ skills and artistic visions that have developed and unfolded during their time on various art, design, and creative media courses in the college.

For those who have never visited a student exhibition, the range and quality of work showcased is astonishing, as is the amount of creative learning opportunities available.

The exhibition is free and entirely open to the public, allowing everyone the opportunity to experience the wonderful atmosphere and artworks inside.

From works including painting, sculpture, crafts, interior architecture, video games, fashion, graphics and multimedia, there is an ocean of creativity on show. The annual exhibition is a testament to the college art and design courses, which provide aspiring artists and designers with a chance to experiment and develop their skills. The talent on display is proof of the boundless creativity that flourishes within these courses.

The exhibition provides students with a moment to step back and appreciate their work on display, a validating experience after months of dedication.

However, for the visitor, these student exhibitions may also be a fantastic place to discover and purchase beautiful and original works of art. You can an up-and-coming artist, avoid steep gallery commissions, and end up with a gorgeous piece of art.

For many students it’s their first big exhibition. It’s a proud, but undeniably nerve-racking feeling to have their work on public display. Months of effort and learning distilled down to just a handful of pieces, with only a small fraction of their creative output selected for the exhibition.

Frank Carroll, a fine art graduate, sums up his experience: “I was very excited to be involved in my first formal art exhibition with the students from the Fine Art course at Douglas Street campus. It was wonderful to get an insight into the process of running an exhibition. I never would have known how much more was involved as an artist, other than the creative process in the studio.

“You must think outside the box and realise the planning of the show is just as important as the art works themselves. The teachers were amazing in helping us select our pieces for the show, and hopefully this will be the first of many to come over the years.”

The exhibition allows students’ families and friends to finally get a sense of how they have spent their college year; dreaming up and creating objects, images, and experiences that never existed before.

For the college staff, ing students in showcasing their work is ingrained into the teaching culture. Each year, they dedicate time guiding students in selecting and preparing their presentations. They pore over the details of the exhibition, ensuring everything is displayed in a polished, professional way, determined to give students’ work the attention it deserves.

There’s a refreshing openness to the process of student exhibitions, as these publicly funded institutions of art and design invite everyone in, proclaiming: ‘Our doors are open; you’re welcome to see the scope of work we do.’

As students approach the end of their college journey, it can be an emotional time for all involved. The exhibition serves as a joyful celebration for staff, students, and loved ones, providing both closure and a sense of accomplishment.

Paula McCarthy, Douglas Street Campus principal, said: “The college is very proud of what our students have achieved over the course of their time with us, and the exhibition provides the ideal opportunity for students to invite their friends and family to come in and view the fruits of their creative learning.

Douglas Street Campus FET is now the Cork ETB’s dedicated centre for further education courses in art, design and creative media, many of which will be displaying work as part of the exhibition.

Further education courses have become a very attractive option for people wishing to upskill or learn something new. The courses available are vocationally driven and usually feature a lot of hands-on learning.

In addition, fees have been reduced to as little as €50 after the government’s initiative to encourage participation in further education.

The range of courses available and increased accessibility provides everyone with the chance to learn something new, discover a new ion, or improve a current skill set, in an open and encouraging environment.

For prospective students, the Douglas Street Campus end-of-year exhibition can provide a sense of all that can be achieved in as little as one academic year.

This year’s exhibition features an impressive array of work from 15 diverse courses, including Art, Animation, Film Production, Fashion Design, Interior Architecture, and Illustration. The pieces on show reflect the hard work and creativity the students have invested in their studies.

For those unable to attend the opening night today, fortunately the exhibition will remain open to the public for a short while longer. You can visit it on May 26, 27, and 28, from 10am to 4pm in the main college building, located on Sawmill Street in Cork city.

Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate the artistic accomplishments of students and discover the impressive possibilities in the world of creative education!