It’s been a busy few months for me since February so to bring you up to speed, I’m sharing this…
“Doing things together rather than alone feels better”
For West Cork-based textile artist Rebecca Powell, this is a philosophy that has served her well throughout her artistic life. It is also what led her to come up with the idea for the West Cork Collective in Ballinspittle, bringing together a group of creatives and assorted artists to show-case their work under the one roof.
With community at the heart of the Collective, it’s refreshing for the 40-strong membership to be able to work together and provide the village with something truly unique, whether that is artwork, creams, soaps, fashion accessories, heirloom bunnies, prints and cards, textiles, natural candles, books, ceramics or jewellery. They have created a truly unique and inviting gift shop and gallery in the charming West Cork village and, in the three months since opening, the beautiful space is already making an impression on locals and visitors alike.
The colourful and inspiring gift shop and gallery is home to works by diverse artists such as Tree of Life Natural Cosmetics, The Little Vintage Room, Emma Jacobs Art, Artsplashtherapy and many more. The gallery at the back of the premises houses a diverse collection of works from handmade papers, mixed media, weaving, sea-glass art to canvas and framed art, prints and cards.
The West Cork Collective gift shop and gallery opened its doors on Sunday March 2nd and it’s been a hectic couple of months for Rebecca and her fellow Collective members.
“It’s been fantastic since we opened. We have had loads of foot traffic during this period and we now have the nearby caravan parks open so people are coming to have a look as it’s something new in the village.”
It was only when Rebecca heard that Olga Prins was relocating her well-established craft-store – Olga’s Own Craft Studio from Ballinspittle to Ballincollig that she jumped at the chance to take over this retail space. “I went to Olga to tell her about my idea and she loved it. We sat down to talk about the figures and after that I put out an open call to see if anyone was interested in my idea for a retail collective.
“We have the shop area which is the retail section and is divided up between 20 members, each having their own space and looking after their own stock. All the bills are paid collectively and everyone does a few hours voluntarily each week to man the shop.”
It’s already serving as a magnet for the community of creatives and Rebecca said people are always popping in for a chat and to see how things are going.
“It’s very much like a community hub. We support each other which is what it should be about. There are over 40 members in total in the collective with more than 20 members in the gallery who can put two or three pieces of their work in there. Exhibitions throughout the year will also feature prominently in the space.
“We’re being included in this summer’s Kinsale Arts Weekend and we are putting a specific members’ summer exhibition together on the night, Friday, July 11th. They have also asked one of us to do an open studio demo on the following night in the shop, so one of our members can showcase how they work.”
Rebecca is keen for other artists to get in contact with her as there’s still some space available in the gallery or to run classes.
“We’re open to patrons who want to support us – they pay an annual fee which gives them certain privileges. Soon to be added is “Friends of West Cork Collective”
We also have a few anonymous patrons who have helped us putting up our colourful new boards for the shop-front.”
The shop’s three new, colourful art boards were designed by the members including herself, and make for a real eye-catching and unique exterior. A fantastic addition to the popular little village.
She added that the establishment of the West Cork Collective has brought another dimension to Ballinspittle as they run occasional classes and she is hoping to open it up even more to allow groups to come in and have a chat and a cup of tea.
“Quite a lot of us live locally which is great too. We have our website and all the members have their own bio on it so the public can see what they are about. All our upcoming events and classes are also on the website. Quite a few of our members are happy to take commissions too.” We hope to have an interesting calendar going forward.
The retail aspect of the shop is proving to be a real draw for many shoppers and is probably down to the fact that 70% of the items on sale there are not available in other shops.
Local artist Georgia Hopkins (an associate member of the collective which means she can exhibit her works in the gallery) said it feels like a community in itself.
“It’s just a really nice and dynamic space and it’s very inspiring to be in there. You also know that everything for sale is locally made and that you won’t find many of the pieces anywhere else.”
The space itself is available to rent for classes and tutorials, for support groups or as an arts hub, and the overall goal of the collective is for it to be of real benefit to the local area as well as all those involved, well into the future.
You can read the article in the Southern Star online here https://www.southernstar.ie/premium-exclusives/artists-working-together-in-ballinspittle-4329719
To find out more, checkout our member and associate member pages on http://www.westcorkcollective.com
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Karima Rebecca Powell Artist 