Published: Wednesday, 17th February, 2010 5:00pm

Open Art presents Karen Downey

Karen Downey (left) and Susan MacWilliam, respectively curator and artist for Northern Ireland at the 53rd Venice Biennale.

Open Art presents Karen Downey this Saturday, February 20, 11.30am to 1pm, at the Johnston Central Library Exhibition Space. All are welcome and admission is free, but advance booking is recommended.

Karen is associate curator with Belfast Exposed Photography. In 2009 she was commissioner and curator for Northern Ireland's presentation at the 53rd Venice Biennale. She curated a solo exhibition of work by video and installation artist Susan MacWilliam, accompanied by a major publication. The exhibition attracted over 52,000 visitors and significant press coverage. Karen will discuss the process of delivering the Biennale project, from concept to realisation, focusing on the following areas: the proposal and selection process, concept development and support for new work, exhibition and publication planning and design and devising an effective marketing strategy. She will also screen extracts from the work MacWilliam produced for Venice.

Open Art is a program of free events presenting contemporary Visual Arts practice, taking place in the exhibition space at the Johnston Central Library throughout Winter/Spring 2010. Running fortnightly on Saturdays from 11.30am to 1pm, the events are designed not only for the visual arts community but also for the broader arts community and for all members of the public with an interest in what the visual arts has to offer and how visual arts practice is developing in Ireland.

The Open Art program is devised and delivered by visual artist Yvonne Cullivan and supported by Cavan County Council Arts Office, Johnston Central Library and the Arts Council.

• For further information and booking contact Yvonne at ycullivan@gmail.com or 086-8848540. See also http://www.yvonnecullivan.com/projects_openart.htm.