Drogheda Port has announced its Annual Arts Commission for 2021 has been awarded to Drogheda born figurative sculptor, Ms Sallyanne Morgan.
Submissions were invited from local artists for an art piece from any art discipline based on a maritime or port-related theme.
Now based in Bettystown, Sallyanne has spent many years abroad, living and working in countries such as Cambodia and more recently Malta. She has worked as a community artist in the NGO 'Common Ground' and 'Respond' housing Association. She also taught ceramics to young adults in Phnom Penh and facilitated a cement workshop in Kathmandu University and had solo exhibitions in Malta and Phnom Penh. Her work currently features in two exhibitions, a joint show in the Seamus Ennis Arts Center in Naul and in The Botanic gardens, "Sculpture in Context". Sallyanne works with fibre-reinforced cement (FRC) or ferro-cement and began using this material as an alternative to clay after leaving technical college. This cement is either directly applied to the metal armature or is cast from a clay model.
For the 2021 Arts Commission, Sallyanne's objective is to capture the human element, and so the sculpture she proposes is a small homage to all the unknown men who spent their working lives lifting and carrying and making the Port function.
'There was a huge response to this year's Commission, with a wide range of excellent submissions making the awarding a difficult choice for the Port. However, in the end, we feel Sallyanne's proposal will make a wonderful contribution to our growing collection. We would like to thank all artists who responded to the invitation, and we look forward to future submissions from these artists.' said Nessa Lally of Drogheda Port Company.
Sallyanne is delighted that the Drogheda Port Company has commissioned one of her sculptures for their collection and she expects to complete the commission by the end of this year.
