A number of young Donegal artists got to show off their skills at a recent pop-up exhibition held at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny.
The event was held recently as part of the Mind Your Melon programme, created by local mental health charity Connect Mental Health in partnership with Jigsaw Donegal and Foróige, delivered with the support of Donegal Local Development CLG.
The exhibition featured a stunning collection of artwork by young people from across County Donegal, all centred around the 2024/25 theme, ‘Gratitude – Joy in the Little Things’.
All of the young artists participating were asked to express what gratitude means to them through a wide range of artistic styles and interpretations, and encouraged participants to reflect on the simple yet powerful moments that bring joy, even during difficult times.
The exhibition also included a judged art competition, with the winners announced on the day.
First place was awarded to Alicia Brady from Loreto Letterkenny for her piece Cupcakes. Alicia described her work as “a reminder to always look for the good even during tough times. The message behind the piece is to look for the light in the darkness. It also shows that we should always stop wishing for more and instead appreciate the simple pleasures of life.”
In second place was Ultana Nic Daibheid from Cólaiste Ailigh with The Light We Hold Onto, and third place went to Sophia Basilio from Loreto Letterkenny for her piece The Joys of Life.
Speaking after the event, Damien Coyle, Service Manager, Jigsaw Donegal said: “The Art Competition and Exhibition is an inspirational initiative in the Jigsaw Donegal calendar. The art competition allows us to create a space for young people to visually inform us about what is important to them. Beyond the art entries, this is an integrated project with many partners who continually work to achieve better mental health outcomes for young people. We are very proud of everybody who got involved this year.”
Martin McDevitt, Community Development Manager at DLDC, added: “We’re delighted to have partnered on such a positive initiative. The level of talent on show was exceptional. Congratulations to all the young artists who took part and thank you to everyone who came along to support them.”
Mind Your Melon is a programme ‘For young people, by young people’.
For more information visit www.mindyourmelon.ie
