OPW: Office of Public Works
Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí
STATE ARTWORKS
The State art collection refers to works of art managed by the OPW located in State buildings and public spaces throughout Ireland and abroad. State buildings include all Government offices, Áras an Uachtaráin, Dublin Castle, Farmleigh, Leinster House, Government Buildings, the Four Courts and certain Court facilities, Garda stations, Irish embassies abroad, and certain cultural institutions.
The collection does not include:
- Works of art commissioned or purchased by other Government Departments with their own construction budgets operating per cent for art schemes, such as the Department of the Environment and Local Government, the Department of Health and Children, or the Department of Education and Science.
- Works of art in the care of Dúchas, the Heritage Service or works located in Dúchas managed properties that maintain an independent curatorial system.
- Works of art purchased or commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs after January 1989.
- Works of art in the national collections such as the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art and the National Museum of Ireland.
The OPW endeavours to increase public awareness and access to State art through its Annual Art of the State exhibitions and catalogues.
The Art of the State exhibitions have been held annually by the OPW since 1991 and have comprised various sections of art works taken from the State's collection based on particular themes each year e.g. portraits, prints, past masters, etc. The exhibition provides an opportunity for the public to view art works, which normally decorate public buildings. Over the years, it has toured extensively throughout the country as well as abroad. A catalogue illustrating the art works accompanies the exhibition and copies for each exhibition are available for purchase from the Government Supplies Agency.
Art Works at Dublin Castle
The art works located at Dublin Castle have been acquired over hundreds of years - from the 18th century until the present time. There is a wide variety of art on display at the castle - from portraits of the Lords Lieutenant in the Picture Gallery to contemporary sculptures in the Dubh Linn gardens. The art works in Dublin Castle have been catalogued in Dublin Castle Art, an illustrated publication researched and written by art historian, Róisín Kennedy in 1999 through a jointly funded research bursary in Visual Arts Curation from The Arts Council and the Office of Public Works. The art works featured in this website are a selection of those from the catalogue.
At present, there are over 7,000 art works in the State art collection managed by the Office of Public Works. These works are located in Government buildings and public spaces throughout Ireland and in some of the Irish embassies. A project is on-going in the Art Management Office in relation to the art database with the purpose of placing the complete collection on the OPW website.