Dara McGee has been an actor, scenic artist, designer, teacher, stagehand, puppet-maker, film-maker, photographer, administrator, community arts co-ordinator, theatre director, "schemer" and "dreamer" - before his current life as a creative artist.
Anyone who tries to pigeonhole him is a "loser", according to former Druid Theatre Company administrator and ardent supporter Anne Butler and there is no simple catchphrase to define what he does. A honours graduate in fine art from the University of Ulster, Belfast, he has spent a harsh winter on Tory Island, Co Donegal, painting barren, windswept landscapes, and has designed sets for productions such as Ken Bourke's Wild Harvest and Na Fanaithe's Aingeal an Chladaigh.
McGee was a prominent member of Na Fanaithe, the Irish-language theatre company, and he designed a street spectacular for Macnas which coincided with the Tour de France in Cork in July, 1998. His cartoons have appeared in many publications, ranging from the Connacht Tribune to Foinse to the programme of D'Unbelievables' latest show, Dat's Life.
Last week, Jon Kenny and Pat Shortt returned a favour by opening his first solo exhibition of paintings and drawings, Saol Aisteach, at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway. Much of the work was done in studio space offered to McGee by the Druid's Table restaurant in Clonakilty, Co Cork; and much of the push came from the late Bernie Walsh of Druid Theatre Company who died tragically in a road accident 18 months ago.
About one-third of the exhibits on acrylic on canvas, ink on paper and pencil on paper were sold on the first night and the exhibition continues for a month. Access is limited during the day, but theatre-goers will certainly catch it each night until the end of March.
On Friday and Saturday, the Galway Youth Theatre hosts a Millennium One-Act Festival at Nuns Island Theatre at 7.30 p.m., with a special afternoon performance from three participating Galway schools on Thursday at 2 p.m. The festival is an opportunity for young people to present original, devised or selected works for public performance, and awards are given in various categories.
Participants can write, perform or direct, and the Galway Youth Theatre provides the technical and administrative support. This year, which promises to be the biggest festival to date, with funding from the National Millennium Committee, the schools involved are St Enda's, Colaiste Iognaid and Presentation Convent.
Further information is available from the Galway Youth Theatre box office at the Galway Arts Centre, tel (091) 565886.
Tribute was paid to the "vibrant" partnership between the arts and business last week when Cothu held its first roadshow in the west. Cothu, which was founded in 1989 by enlightened members of the business community, chose Galway for its first shot at establishing a regional network.
The roadshow was hosted by Nortel Networks, sponsor of the international theatre programme at the annual Galway Arts Festival. Ms Brigid Roden, chief executive of Cothu, spoke of the links that had developed in the city, largely pioneered by Nortel, Compaq Computer International and the arts festival.
Figures for 1998/1999 will be available soon, but a survey conducted by the business council showed that investment in business sponsorship of the arts had increased from £5.2 million in 1993 to £10.2 million in 1997.