Katie Moore announced winner of Medtronic Galway Commission “Breathing Life into Art”
Atlantic Technological University’s School of Design and Creative Arts and Medtronic are pleased to announce Katie Moore as winner of the Medtronic Galway Commission “Breathing Life into Art”. Launched last November (2021) at the Medtronic Galway plant at Mervue, over 18 graduate artists made submissions for the commission which is valued at €20,000.
Katie Moore is a visual artist based in Co Mayo. She graduated from GMIT Galway with an MA in Creative Practice in 2018. She holds a BA first class honours in Design in Textiles (2015) and was shortlisted for the RDS Student of the Year Award 2015. Katie was awarded the Emerging Irish Artist Residency Award 2018 with The Burren College of Art and was also awarded the Arts & Disability Connect New Work Award 2017, which resulted in a solo show entitled Entropy, at the Linenhall Arts Centre Castlebar. Read her full biog on https://www.katiemoorevisualartist.com/exhibitions/
The ATU-Medtronic partnership is a part of the GMIT Radius Project, initiated by the School of Design & Creative Arts and led by lecturer Dr Seamus McGuinness. The initiative engages the School’s graduates and students with local community and social organisations in the creation and exhibition of artistic projects and commissions.
Describing her concept for the winning commission, Katie Moore says: “I hope to create an art installation that will commemorate the collaborative effort of the local community and employees of Medtronic in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. The operations in Galway became the heart of the company’s response. I am delighted to be awarded this commission and I am very grateful for the Radius Project, and the opportunities it creates for artists like myself.”
Katie’s artwork will be on permanent display at the Medtronic ventilator plant in Mervue, following an expo tour of the local community.
Paul Campbell, Site Director, Medtronic Mervue, says: “Giving Back to Galway is a fantastic opportunity for us to show our gratitude to our community and our employees. The art commission is central to this and we are delighted to be able to partner with our neighbours at the Cluain Mhuire campus. One of our main objectives of this project was to bring the experiences of our employees to life and I think the most striking element about Katie’s proposal is how she puts the purpose and the employees’ voice at the centre of her vision for the art. There could not be a more important set of criteria for this artwork and I am excited to see both the process and result of this art commission.”
Dr Seamus McGuinness, Lead Radius Project, ATU School of Design & Creative Arts, says: “The Radius Project strives to connect creatively with the community that surrounds us here at the School of Design and Creative Arts. We are delighted to be partnering with Medtronic on this important commission. The standard of the applicants to the open call was very high but we feel confident that Katie's proposal encompassed the spirit of Medtronic’s remarkable achievement during Covid. The process has been wonderful and the level of engagement from the Medtronic community in Mervue has been meaningful and this has shaped and formed the commission. We look forward to continuing this natural collaboration into the future and wish Katie, one of our many talented graduates, the best of luck as she makes this important artwork. We are proud of her.”
Dr Paddy Tobin, Head of the ATU School of Design & Creative Arts, says: “We are delighted about the collaboration with Medtronic and of course are looking forward to seeing Katie’s work in Galway again. The Radius Project has been a wonderful experience for everyone involved over the last few years - students, staff and the communities we have engaged with. Partnering with Medtronic on this occasion has opened new opportunities and we are finding more and more kindred spirits in our community. We will be working to continue collaboration with Medtronic, and all our partners, exploring new ways to integrate our work and resources with activities that benefit all our communities.”
For details on ATU creative programmes offered, see: https://www.gmit.ie/schools-campuses/school-of-design-creative-arts
ENDS
Regina Daly,
Atlantic TU Communications Officer
Tel: +353 (0)91 742826 Mob: +353 (0)879618355
www.atu.ie
