126 Gallery in Galway is facing the prospect of closure because of a drastic and sudden 64% cut of local funding. 126 is extremely important to many artists, curators, critics and administrators who have cut their teeth through this artist-led organisation. They need your help now to make some noise and sign the petition to have Galway City Council to review this decision as soon as possible. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION HERE, it only takes a minute.
The Gallery plays an important role as the only permanent space in Galway that allows artists to experiment and take risks with their practice. 126 is Galway’s and the west of Ireland’s first artist-led exhibition space. 126 was established in 2006 by local artists in their own living room as a response to the urgent need for more non-commercial gallery spaces in Galway. It then shifted locations to a white-cube space and invited local artists to form a Board based on the successful democratic style of Catalyst (Belfast) and Transmission (Glasgow). In 2009, 126 relocated to a larger, more prominent space on Queen Street in the city centre, where it remains to this day.
126 has developed a reputation as an organisation which supports traditionally unrepresented artistic projects. It has consistently programmed work that other organisations and commercial galleries within Galway and western Ireland’s cultural infrastructure may find difficult. Because it is a not-for-profit, publicly funded gallery space, it is able to make decisions on an artistic, rather than economic, basis. As such, 126 is gaining recognition and support as a place of cultural innovation in Ireland and is quickly becoming an integral part of Galway’s cultural fabric.
So show them some support and sign the petition.
John Murphy 