A Collection of Conversations – Dementia Inclusive Exhibition at dlr LexIcon and Highlanes Gallery

From mid-June two neighbouring art galleries in Dún Laoghaire and Drogheda present ‘A Collection of Conversations’, a dementia inclusive exhibition. The artworks included are from the dlr County Collection and the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Gallery, specially selected by artists and trained Azure facilitators Claire Halpin, Julie Merriman and Orla Goodwin for visitors living with dementia.

A series of free dementia inclusive events and tours will take place throughout the exhibition run, inviting those living with dementia and their carers / families to the galleries for visual, musical, olfactory and movement-based sensory experiences.

At dlr LexIcon, Dún Laoghaire, artworks from the Drogheda Municipal Art Collection, Highlanes Gallery, featuring artists Gerard Dillon, Evie Hone, Mary Swanzy, Nano Reid, William Leech, Nathaniel Hone, Diana Copperwhite, Anthony Haughey, and many others will be on view, alongside a selection of work from the dlr County Collection.

At Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda, works by Mainie Jellet, Melanie le Brocquy, Paul Hallahan, Bassam Al Sabah, George Potter, John Behan and many others will be presented with other key works from the collection.

The exhibition will also feature a multisensory installation by artist Joanna Hopkins. This is a specially developed commission opportunity which came through extensive consultations with local services that support people with dementia. Multisensory experiences for people living with dementia are an established practice in residential care settings. The aim of this multisensory installation is to be as engaging as possible for people with dementia who visit the exhibition. It is supported by Creative Ireland under the Creativity in Older Age Scheme 2022.

Full programme details can be found on www.dlrcoco.ie/arts and www.highlanes.ie