“The Waterford Municipal Art Collection is one of the hidden gems of the Irish art world, offering a fascinating view of Irish painting in the first half of the twentieth century”.
Dr Peter Jordan, Senior Lecturer in the History of Art, Waterford Institute of Technology
The Waterford Art Collection forms an integral part of the city’s cultural heritage and identity. Formerly known as The Waterford Municipal Art Collection, it is acknowledged as one of the oldest and best municipal collections of art in Ireland.
Originally founded in 1939, the collection has grown considerably since and now comprises almost 750 works of art. These include paintings, prints, photography, and sculptures – much of which provide a valuable insight into the development of twentieth-century Irish Art.
Significant highlights of the collection includes works by Paul Henry RHA, Jack B. Yeats RHA, Mainie Jellett, Louis le Brocquy RHA, Letitia Hamilton RHA, Dermod O’Brien PPRHA, Evie Hone RHA, Mary Swanzy HRHA, Maurice MacGonigal PPRHA, Hilda Roberts HRHA, Seán Keating PPRHA, Carey Clake PPRHA, Charles Lamb RHA, RUA, Patric Stevenson PPRUA, Colin Middleton MBE, RHA, RUA, and George Russell (aka. AE), as well as contemporary acquisitions of work by Catherine Barron, Mick O’Dea, Michael (Ben) Hennessy, Pauline Bewick, Martin Gale RHA, James Hanley RHA, Donald Teskey RHA, Alice Maher RHA, and Una Sealy RHA.
The conception of a civic art gallery and collection within the city can be dated back to the early 1930s. The marriage of artist Hilda Roberts to Arnold Marsh, the headmaster of Newtown School Waterford, soon resulted in the establishment of an annual art exhibition within the school’s gymnasium. This further strengthened a growing network of artists and likeminded advocates for the arts.
The collection was previously housed at several locations within the city including the Library, Greyfriars Church, and Garter Lane Arts Centre. On the 18 October 2019, the collection was rehoused and displayed at its new permanent home, the Waterford Gallery of Art, located at 31-32 O’Connell Street. This former bank building was built in 1845 and now serves as a dedicated facility comprising galleries, outreach spaces, offices, meeting and workshop rooms.
