Mayor Eamonn Maloney on behalf of the Members of South Dublin County Council will officially launch the In Context 3: South Dublin County Councils Per Cent for Art Programme 2006 2009 in County Hall, Tallaght on Wednesday 6^th December at 6pm.

Announcing the commencement of a two year Public Art Programme

(more detailed information on http://incontext.southdublin.ie)

South Dublin County Council is delighted to announce the commencement of In Context 3, its Per Cent for Art programme 2006-2009. Per Cent for Art commissions, which will take place over two years, have been awarded to Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly, Bik van der Pol, Jackie Sumell, Dermot Bolger, Jennifer Walshe, sculptor Andreas Kopp, mediator Sarah Searson and evaluator Peter Cox, TMPL.

The In Context 3 maxim festina lente: make haste slowly, was chosen by Artistic Directors, Sarah Finlay and Cliodhna Shaffrey, to reflect a central principle of the programme - an appreciation of time. Through the five two-year long artistic residencies across a number of artistic disciplines including music, visual arts and literature, there will be the opportunity for the resident artists to establish a strong relationship with place and people. These long-term residencies will allow the artists to research and develop ideas fully, enabling the creation of public art projects that sincerely reflect context and have significant meaning for the community.

In Context 3 is, as a whole, funded through the Governments Per Cent for Art Scheme. In the case of the programmes Roads Commission, Per Cent for Art funding arising from capital construction on the Grange Castle Road and the N7 Naas Road provided the budget for a single commission. This commission was awarded to German artist Andreas Kopp who is creating an illuminated sculpture, entitled Marker Tree, at the Kingswood interchange where the N7 and Grange Castle Road intersect.

A Mediation Commission forms an integral part of In Context 3.  Through this commission, which has been awarded to Sarah Searson, it is hoped to create an active dialogue between the In Context 3 artists, the art and the community, thereby allowing the possibility for greater understanding and interaction between the various individuals and groups involved.

In addition to the above programme strands, TMPL Managing Director, Peter Cox, will head an evaluation team that will undertake both a formative and a summative evaluation of In Context 3. The formative evaluation will allow for experience and data to be regularly fed back into the programme and the summative evaluation will provide a final report.

In conclusion, In Context 3, over the course of its programme, is looking forward to facilitating a series of innovative and progressive public art projects which will have the potential to contribute in a significant way to the development of contemporary public art practice in Ireland in next few years.

Contact: Caroline Orr, Public Art Coordinator, South Dublin County Council

Tel: 01 414 9000 Email: corr@sdublincoco.ie END