Council Chair commissions piece for Civic Art collection

The Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Diana Armstrong, recently commissioned a piece of artwork by Fermanagh-born artist, Marjorie Leonard, to add to the Civic Art collection.

The piece is an illustrated map of the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area which captures its natural built heritage and history. The artwork highlights the wildlife, lakes, forest and historic locations across the district and incorporates lines from the works of Beckett and Wilde, both of whom have close connections to the district.

The Civic Art collection, which largely comprises works by local artists, was initiated by the first Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Thomas O’Reilly and has been added to by each Council Chair in succeeding years.

Speaking about the commission, Councillor Armstrong said;

“One of the privileges of being Chair of the Council is that I am afforded the opportunity to support the arts and purchase a piece of art for the Civic Art collection. I have been an admirer of Marjorie’s work for a while. When I made contact with her I was delighted when she agreed to do the specially commissioned piece and I am honoured that one of my last duties as Chair of the Council is to accept this wonderful commission from Marjorie.

I wanted this commission of art to be for all the residents of our district, so that we can all be familiar with the character of our district and see the beauty of the natural landscape of Fermanagh and Omagh as well as our natural and built heritage.

Over the past year many of us have found time to discover places to visit and this artwork illustrates some of the outstanding attractions of our district.  I hope it encourages residents to explore new places to visit.

This painting builds on our sense of place and sense of space within the district.  Marjorie’s delicate watercolours perfectly capture the beauty of our lakes, forests, uplands and indeed native wildlife.

I am confident that this piece will be a wonderful addition to the Civic Art collection.”

Notes to the Editor

Marjorie Leonard was born and educated in County Fermanagh and studied art at the then University of Ulster gaining a B.A. (Hons) Degree.

An accomplished watercolourist, Marjorie is primarily a painter of the Irish rural landscape. Nature has always been her main inspiration and the rich landscape of her native county is a  major influence in her work.

Marjorie is a member of the Ulster Watercolour Society and an exhibitor with the Royal Ulster Academy and work is included in art collections world-wide.