OUR ARTISTS

“Ceangal/Connections,”  an art and culture collaboration between four artists in Chandler  and four artists in Tullamore, Ireland, will exhibit at the Chandler Museum Gallery from March 14 - July 20, 2025 with a reception for artists from 5:00-7:00pm on Friday, March 14. 

The artwork debuted at the Esker Arts Centre in Tullamore, Ireland from July 13 - August 24, 2024. 

Two  writers, two photographers, two filmmakers and two visual artists  explore the contrasts and similarities between both areas and include  landmarks of the twinned Chandler Tullamore Sister Cities (CTSC)  organization, now in its 15th year. 

Chandler  President Ellen Harrington says she is thrilled to celebrate the  nonprofit’s 15th anniversary with this project. “Art and culture is so  important to all of us, and to bring these eight artists together is a  great way to show both communities about the talent we have,” she says.  “To perpetuate the culture of both Chandler and Tullamore is also a high  priority for us.”

Tullamore  Municipal District Councillor Tony McCormack says the connections made  between the two cities are many. “We decided early on that we wanted to  pursue educational, heritage, historical, art and economic,” he  explains. “This new art project, Ceangal, is  a wonderful collaboration between both sets of artists from Tullamore  and Chandler. It has been a fantastic experience, and I look forward to  what the future brings!”

The local  artists are fiber artist Laurie Fagen, writer Lynne  Hartke; filmmaker Devon Hancock; and photographer Robert Rice. Traveling  to Ireland for the reception are Fagen, Rice and Hartke, along with her  husband, Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. 

The  Tullamore artists include painter Siobhan McCormack; writer Geraldine  O’Neill; filmmaker Evin O’Toole and photographer Paul Moore.

Fagen, chair of the Art & Culture program for CTSC, says working “across the pond” added unusual elements.

“We  had to get very creative with hanging methods, which went hand in hand  with determining how to get our art from Chandler to Tullamore without  breaking the bank,” she explains. “Robert and Lynne came up with a way  to print both his photography and her poems on beautiful mulberry paper  with a lightweight hanging system. My fiber art could be rolled up and  will all go in a suitcase that a friend visiting from Tullamore will  take back with her.”

She  says other challenges included communicating through Zoom, WhatsApp and  email, and working with two different galleries to finalize show dates  and all the details that go with mounting an art exhibit.