We have lift-off! We successfully launched Barren and Frances McKenna’s art exhibition on Thursday night, and when I say launched, I mean all rockets blazing, booster flaring and jets roaring, launched.
Frances and I had a lovely discussion in an atmosphere of love and encouragement from a room of over a hundred people. We were bowled over by the turnout and would like to thank everyone for coming and supporting us. Together we spun magic that warm spring evening on the Mall in Armagh. My heart is full.
It was a high point in a week that I know was difficult and heartbreaking for many people close to me. A friend and writing colleague lost her dad; my Mummy’s dearly loved cousin passed away; and my sister’s beloved friend, a wonderful person whose smile I’ll always remember, made her final farewell this week too.
It made our interactive public art piece all the more relevant. As Frances and I had been preparing for the launch, we came up with the idea of taking the belief system I had created in the Neolithic timeline of Barren and turning it into an art form that the public could be a part of. It refers to the notion that when people die, their souls become stars watching over us – something that pops up repeatedly in various ancient cultures around the world and which I employed in Barren.
I showed Frances a photograph I’d taken on the morning of 8th December 2017 when I’d awakened, predawn, to a snowy Armagh. I grabbed the camera, threw on some warm clothes and headed out to record sunrise – my favourite time of the day, especially in the depths of winter. Later that same morning, eight years ago, Frances and I attended another school friend’s funeral– one of the most beautiful souls to have walked with us. I have the snow photos and a short poem for her over on my blog. If you wish to visit that, you can click here.
Inspired by this photo, Frances painted the scene in acrylics, and we invited the people at the launch to place a sparkling star on the night sky in remembrance of their lost loved one. I hasten to add here that the word “lost” only means lost to us, and maybe in reality, we’re the ones still lost while they are “found” in a “better place”.
The sky filled up quickly with stars, and the piece joined the exhibition, which will run until the 28th of June 2025. If you’re in Armagh, visit the Armagh County Museum, and chat with the staff –they are fabulous, inspiring and a fountain of knowledge. See the bronze axe exhibition that they set up especially to tie in with the story of Barren. Have a look at Frances’s paintings, perhaps you could buy one to brighten up your home and your heart. Or, if you missed the launch, purchase a copy of Barren from the museum shop. And take a moment to stand in front of the night sky, choose a star, hang your heart on it and think of a loved one who is watching over you from the other side and know they are not far away.
Byddi Lee
