The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) is still awaiting the appointment of a successor to Declan McGonagle, who resigned last April writes Aidan Dunne. The museum's acting director, Philomena Byrne, says only that the selection process is still under way and at this stage it is not possible to say when it will be concluded. It is known, however, that initial interviews were held some weeks ago amid reports of withdrawals from the shortlist. Provided a prospective director emerges from the interview stage of the process, his or her name will then be referred to the IMMA board for approval. So we could still be several weeks away from an announcement. It is fast approaching the first anniversary of the controversy that led to Declan McGonagle's departure.
Last year AIB launched a major annual award for artists of promise - The AIB Prize - writes Aidan Dunne. The €20,000 award (with €1,500 each for three runners up) is intended to go towards the publication costs of a catalogue, exhibition costs and an award to the winning artist. In other words, it is designed to facilitate a specific project and nominations must come from the publicly funded galleries or other organisations involved in curating and presenting the project. Given the expense and the importance attached to artists' publications these days, the prize would be a boost to any such organisation, apart altogether from its importance to the artist.
While there were some outstanding nominations last year - including particularly strong proposals from Temple Bar Gallery and the Gallery of Photography - the overall submission was quantitively modest, which can only suggest that arts administrators were not paying attention. The closing date for entries is January 31st, 2002, a shortlist will follow on February 8th and the overall winner will be announced on March 4th at the Ashford Gallery.
Exceptional talent may be a basic requirement for a performing career in music, but, alone, it's far from likely to be enough to get a serious career off the ground writes Michael Dervan. The Music Network's Young Musicwide scheme is a professional development programme intended to deal with some of the wider issues involved: approaches to management and promotion, the building of repertoire and the commissioning of new work.
The three-year support package for Young Musicwide performers includes specially designed promotional materials (with the benefit of professional photo-shoots), and a promotional CD. The Callino String Quartet, which was the first group to benefit from the scheme, has already featured in collaborative performances with the Vogler and RT╔ Vanbrugh Quartets and had a residency in Co Leitrim.
Up to three singer/piano duos will be selected for the scheme in 2002, and the successful duos will benefit from a new development, by having a work specially commissioned for them. Application forms and further details are available from Music Network's Young Musicwide manager, SinΘad Collins, at 01-671 9429. The closing date for applications is Friday, November 30th.
Is time speeding up? Are we running on the spot, as technology and mobility change our expectations of what can be achieved in a day? Speed Limits is a one-day conference at The Project, Temple Bar, Dublin, on Saturday at which Irish and international writers and theorists - including Saskia Sassen, Zygmunt Bauman, Karlin Lillington, Jay Griffiths, Donnacha Dennehy and Michael Cronin - will discuss perceptions of time and the effects of speed on our lives. It's organised by the Irish Writers' Centre, The Graph Foundation and Critical Voices. Time: 10 a.m. - 4.45 p.m. Booking from: 1850 260027 or tickets@writerscentre.ie.
Edited by Helen Meany
arts@irish-times.ie
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