GMIT Press Release 26.06.07

GMIT LETTERFRACK GRADUATE FURNITURE EXHIBITION

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) is pleased to announce the opening of its annual Graduate Furniture Exhibition at the Letterfrack campus in Connemara.

The End of Year Show opened to the public on Thursday, 22nd June and features some forty pieces of work from talented students studying furniture design, making, production, conservation, restoration, research and technology.

The exhibition provides a captivating insight into the wonderful world of furniture and showcases the very best work from students studying in each of the six degree programmes delivered in the GMIT Letterfrack campus.

On display are prototype benches for the Farmleigh House exhibition gallery in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, floor and wall-mounted storage cabinets, a selection of marquetry panels and tables, examples of games boards, production items such as mirrors, ambient floor-mounted cone lamps and desk tidys, chairs undergoing restorative treatment and an exquisitely restored small flip top table.

“This energetic and exciting exhibition gives the public an opportunity to see the quality and range of work produced by our student”, says Dermot O’Donovan, Acting Head of Department at GMIT Letterfrack.

“Visitors to the show are presented with an excellent array of high-quality furniture pieces reflecting the diversity of work undertaken by the students. Many items on display integrate materials, some show off to best advantage the use of home grown wood, and work from the restoration programme illustrates the skills employed by furniture conservators.” he explains.

“I am always astounded by the levels of excellence students achieve during their studies in GMIT Letterfrack. It is always an exciting and challenging task to select the very best work for the end of year show, from such a wide body of exceptional work.” he added.

The Graduate Furniture Exhibition is housed in the new gallery on campus, which was officially opened by the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, last summer. Opening hours are 9am to 5pm daily and admission is free. The exhibition runs until June 2008.

GMIT at Letterfrack is also exhibiting at the National Museum of Ireland - Country Life in Turlough Park, Castlebar. The exhibition entitled, ‘take a seat ‘, is the result of a collaborative project w