A STUNNING array of works were submitted for the annual 1FT SQ exhibition hosted by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, which for the first time in its 13-year history is taking place virtually via Strule Arts Centre's Facebook page.

Having opened on December 4 with a virtual event live-streamed from the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh via the Council's YouTube page, the exhibition runs until January 9.

A Council spokeswoman said: "This is the 13th year of 1FT SQ exhibition – an event that has grown annually and attracts artists of all genres and creative backgrounds, both locally and further afield.

"There was an excellent response to the open call to the arts community in November from 39 artists, who are showing 117 works of art in a variety of mediums, including photography, porcelain, ceramics, oil, acrylic, pencil, mixed-media and prints.

"Strule Arts Centre is proud to host this eclectic selection of new and established, amateur, emerging and professional art from all over the UK, Ireland and beyond, including Brazil and Italy."

Once again this year, two independent external adjudicators, Noelle McAlinden and Geraldine O’Reilly, from Fermanagh and Omagh Arts Forum, were given the task of deciding on the successful artists – a very difficult decision, given the quality of the work submitted.

Speaking at the opening, Geraldine said: "I was very pleased to be asked to assist with the judging of the 1FT SQ virtual exhibition along with Noelle McAlinden, who has extensive expertise in all aspects of the visual arts.

"My thanks to Noelle and to the arts service of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for bringing this virtual exhibition together.

"It would not, of course, be possible without the artists' input and a special thanks to all the artists who took the time to create and submit work."

She continued: "As part of the submission process, artists provided a short video to accompany their work.

"You will now be able to access these, so even though it is a virtual exhibition, you can 'meet the artist', and hear about them and their arts practice.

"I found this aspect of the exhibition to be particularly interesting, finding out about one artist, for example, who is both a sculpture and a performance artist, whose work is more about the process than the end result.

"Another artist speaks of how they created a full body of work during the lockdown and how it brought them back to wonderful childhood experiences of playing outside until it got dark, and the exploration of these experiences provided them with a real sense of space and satisfaction," she added.

Geraldine congratulated the artists on the high standard of work submitted, before announcing 12 shortlisted artists: Anne Marie Stanley, Aoife Ward, Ber Earley, Catherine Kerrigan, Chloe Austin, Gerry Bradley, Julie Murphy, Karl Logge, Marta Romani, Michael Corrigan, Kevin Hamilton and Senga Sharkey.

She then went on to announce the prize winners. First prize, a two-week Artists Residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, was awarded to local artist, Gerry Bradley, for his submission of ‘Blue Sunshine’.

Second prize, a solo exhibition in Strule Arts Centre in 2021/22, was awarded to Dublin artist Aoife Ward, for her submission, ‘Befriending my Table and Chairs’.

Third prize, £150 towards art materials, was claimed by Enniskillen artist Senga Sharkey for her submission, 'Dream Overspill'.

To view the 1FT SQ online art exhibition, see Strule Arts Centre's Facebook page, or Fermanagh and Omagh District Council's YouTube page.