Niall McCormack

Niall McCormack (born in Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland in 1960) is an Irish painter. Since the 1980s, he exhibited in England, Italy, Sweden, Washington, and Ireland.^[1]

Education

McCormack is deaf from birth. He received his special education at Mary Immaculate School for Deaf Children run by the Daughters of the Cross of Liege in Stillorgan, South Dublin in 1964. Six years later, he was transferred to Christian Brothers, St. Joseph’s School for Deaf Boys, Cabra in North Dublin. He was one of two first pupils to sit the Leaving Certificate examination in 1980.

He studied Architectural Drawing at College of Technology, Bolton Street, Dublin for two years. He secured a place to study Art Foundation course at Dun Laoghaire School of Art, Dublin in 1982 and was awarded a NCEA certificate in Visual Education. In 1983, McCormack studied Fine Art Painting at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. He obtained a NCAD diploma in Painting in 1986 and a BA(Hons) degree in 1987. He was a first deaf student to study Fine Art at NCAD. He earned a diploma in Arts Management from Birkbeck College, University of London.

Career

In 1988 McCormack taught deaf children Art on a part time basis in his old school, Mary Immaculate School, Stillorgan for two years. He also worked in his rented studio in Lower Ormond Quay, Dublin. In 1990, He moved to London where he continued to pursue his painting career. He had a number of exhibitions in London and the UK. He ran a number of Art workshops and classes, gave a series of talks on Art and Deaf Art. He worked as a freelance gallery guide giving gallery talks to both deaf and hearing audiences at a number of London galleries including Tate Modern and the Whitechapel Art Gallery. In 2002, he was invited to participate in Deaf Way II, World Deaf Arts and Culture Festival in Washington DC where he exhibited his seven paintings along with invited deaf artists from all over the world. He delivered a lecture on European perspective on Deaf Art at Galluadet University, Washington DC.

In the same year 2002, He was asked to have a solo exhibition at the Custom House Studios, Westport, Co. Mayo. Mr John O’Donaghue, the Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism officated the opening of the new Arts centre where he was the first artist to have an exhibition there.

In April 2007, He left London to move back to live in his hometown Westport permanently. Since 2007, He has exhibited at the RHA regularly. He is represented by the Molesworth Gallery, Dublin^[2] where he had two solo exhibitions in 2008 and 2010. In 2011, he had a solo exhibition at the Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, his birthplace.^[3]

He is included in the dictionary of Living Irish Artists.

Solo Exhibitions

2011 "The Incidence of Light", The Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo
2010 "Inside Out" Molesworth Gallery, 16 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
2009 Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co. Clare
2008 "Gothic Pastel" Molesworth Gallery, 16 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
2005 Custom House Studios Gallery, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland
2002 Custom House Studios Gallery, Westport, Co. Mayo, Ireland
1998 Solo show, Diorama Art Gallery, London.

Collections

• Westport Town Council
  
• Mayo County Council
  
• DeafHear, Dublin
  
• University of Limerick
  
• Gallaudet University, Washington DC
  
• See Hear, BBC, London, England
  
• Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants, Dublin
  
• Mary Hare Grammar School, Newbury, Berkshire, England
  
• private collections in Ireland and abroad.

References

1. ^ "Niall McCormack - The Incidence of Light". culturefox.ie. http://www.culturefox.ie/event/niall-mccormack--the-incidence-of-light/426.aspx. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
2. ^ "Niall McCormack". Molesworth Gallery. http://www.molesworthgallery.com/exhibitions/19_McCormack/index.html. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 
3. ^ "ARTS Niall McCormack to exhibit in Castlebar". Mayo News. 3 May 2011. http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12603:arts-niall-mccormack-to-exhibit-in-castlebar&catid=52:going-out&Itemid=146. Retrieved 11 October 2011. 

External links

• Niall McCormack - official website

Persondata
Name	McCormack, Niall
Alternative names
Short description	Painter
Date of birth	1960
Place of birth	Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
Date of death
Place of death