It is due to the late US-born Margo Dolan and her late husband, Peter Maxwell, that today we have the exceptional Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ballycastle, Co. Mayo. Margo Dolan was born in Pennsylvania, US. S
Born on March 19th, 1946, she was the eldest daughter in a family of five. Her parents Thomas Dolan IV and Margaret Knight Yarnall had Irish family connections.
Margo, who died earlier this year, was educated at Connecticut College and worked in museum education, non-profit institutions and galleries devoted to modern and contemporary art.
Margo married Peter Maxwell, an artist, editor, art director, and designer in 1978. Thus began a personal and professional collaboration that would span many decades until Peter’s death in 2016.
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The couple had a deep love for north Mayo, and spent holidays there during a time of economic hardship in Ireland, the adverse effects of which had a particular impact in rural areas.
They envisioned a residency programme that would bring national and international artists to live and work in Ballycastle, where they could be inspired by some of the most dramatic, natural scenery in the world. In doing so, they foresaw a symbiotic relationship that would benefit both the artists and the local community.
In 1984, Margo and Peter founded Dolan/Maxwell Inc, a major Philadelphia art gallery, that specialised in works of art from the 1930s to the present. In1991, together with their fellow director, Ron Rumford, they transformed Dolan/Maxwell into a private gallery operating by appointment.
This resulted in an expansion into national and international art fairs, enabling Margo and Peter to move to Ireland to found and operate The Ballinglen Arts Foundation in 1992.
Today, the Ballinglen hosts an average of 48 residencies annually; offers highly competitive fellowships; has instituted an open-call biennial exhibition; and amassed 920 works in its permanent collection.
The Ballinglen’s regeneration of buildings along the Main Street of Ballycastle, is a role model for many such small towns in Ireland. It has transformed the village into an arts destination in the north west with a gallery, museum, library, and workshop spaces.
Work is currently under way to convert the old primary school into an art-education centre. All of the foundation’s activities are designed to promote the visual arts and the vitality – social, cultural, economic – of Ballycastle and of north Mayo.
In May 2018, The Royal Hibernian Academy awarded its Gold Medal to Margo Dolan and Peter Maxwell for their significant contribution to the arts in Ireland.
Margo Dolan dedicated her life to the realisation of the singular vision she and her husband dreamed up over 30 years ago.
The Director of Ballinglen, Úna Forde said Margo always found a way through challenges, without compromising excellence. “We all loved her dearly, she was such an inspirational leader at Ballinglen. Her kindness, support, ideas and love of art was just infectious.”
