On the ev+a of a new era

John Rainsford talks to Woodrow Kernohan, the recently appointed director of ev+a, one of the Midwest’s leading contemporary art exhibitions

As we speak, Woodrow Kernohan is in the process of moving to Ireland. Until recently he was living and working in the UK and is now moving to Limerick to become Director of ev+a, based at the redeveloped Limerick City Gallery of Art. His CV makes for impressive reading.
In Brighton he was director of Brighton Photo Fringe, director of Permanent Gallery and Exhibitions Coordinator at The Regency Town House.
He was born in Belfast in 1975 but when still young his family moved to Paris, then London. Afterwards he settled in Poole, Dorset, in the mid-80s, which goes some way to explaining his appreciation of global culture.
“We moved around a lot so my schools changed fairly frequently,” he explains.
“After leaving school at the age of 18 years I moved to London to study Fine Art Media at the Slade School of Fine Art. Later I studied for a BA in critical fine art practice at the University of Brighton, an MA artists film, video and photography at the University for the Creative Arts, Maidstone and most recently research at the Royal College of Art, London.
“Initially I trained as an artist. While studying I wanted to create opportunities for young artists to exhibit their work locally, and so I started to curate exhibitions independently, showing my own work alongside that of other artists. Through curating small exhibitions in public spaces such as cafés and pubs, I met many artists and aspiring curators and this eventually led us into working together to develop experimental exhibitions. In 2004, I was invited to work with Permanent Gallery and in 2008 joined Brighton Photo Fringe.”
His diverse interests encompass all disciplines of contemporary art. With Brighton Photo Fringe his work was primarily with photography, but he has also worked in film and video. With Permanent Gallery he co-operated with early career artists during their first solo exhibitions. He also supported more established artists to experiment outside of their normal practices. In addition, he has been a selector for live art projects and judge of the charity Sight Savers International annual Junior Painter Competition, hosted by the Royal Academy of Arts, London.
As well as working with established galleries, he has organized exhibitions in empty offices and department stores. Therefore, opening-up unconventional spaces is something that he is deeply interested in. Indeed, working with The Regency Town House, a Grade One listed building, in the midst of restoration, has been a key element of his portfolio thus far.
Working with historic buildings brings particular challenges, including not being able to fix anything into the walls. Thus, nearly every project he was involved in needed to devise new ways of showing their artworks.
“My role as director of ev+a is part of a new development phase for this well established organization,” he said.
“I was selected through an open application process. Ev+a is now in the process of appointing the curator for 2012 and the dates are still being finalized. Announcements and calls for submissions will be made very soon.”
Dublin Contemporary 2011 is currently open until the end of October and I would recommend a visit. Ev+a returns next year and will continue to provide opportunities for Irish and international artists to show their work in Limerick.”
Working with artists, artworks, curators and exhibitions is what makes him tick and not surprisingly, he says that, he is extremely happy doing what he does.
“For me, becoming an artist or a curator is all about asking questions, responding to the current moment and exploring new ideas. I think that making an artwork or an exhibition is driven by wanting to show something to other people, the audience then completes this circuit.
“My curatorial interests have developed from an artists’ perspective. What drives me to make exhibitions is the desire to bring new, engaging and exciting contemporary art to a wider public audience.”
Ev+a was established in 1977 and is an annual open submission international exhibition of contemporary art, focused on Limerick City. It has a tradition of working with international curators of high caliber.
It has also developed a reputation for its artist-centered approach which encourages experimentation and innovation. Ev+a has a uniquely personal, intimate and local context which transcends national as well as international boundaries. It aims to present exhibitions using contemporary art of international significance and to encourage collaboration between artists, curators and places.
The event has become established as Ireland’s leading open exhibition of contemporary art, combining exhibits of both international and local relevance. It consistently creates platforms for artists to experiment with and opportunities for audiences to engage with, the best of international contemporary art. Although, missing from the arts calendar in 2011 it will return for its 35th anniversary in 2012.
“I am looking forward to supporting the appointed ‘Curator’ in creating innovative exhibitions and events that animate the city,” Woodrow said.
“Limerick is an important city for the arts nationally, with exciting new galleries, studios and a growing community of artists and arts professionals. Limerick is also a welcoming city with lots to discover. I am looking forward to settling in.
“Culture can have a hugely beneficial impact both personally and for the whole community. The production of art reflects the moment and circumstance of when it was made, transcending all cultural and linguistic boundaries.
“It is possible for anyone, who wants to, to become an artist or a curator. Like many professions, becoming an artist or curator requires a lot of dedication and determination, and everyone takes a completely different route.”
He added, “Ev+a has an energy and vibrancy that will create opportunities locally and bring national and international visitors to Limerick. I am sure that 2012 will be a good year for both ev+a and Limerick.”
For more information about ev+a see www.eva.ie.