Robert Ballagh and daughter at Kennys
ONE of Irelandâ€â„¢s best known artists, Robert Ballagh, is joined by his daughter Rachel in an exhibition of works on paper which opens at the Kenny Gallery, Liosbaun Retail Park, Galway on Friday. Robert Ballagh was born in Dublin in 1943. He studied architecture and worked as an engineering draughtsman, a musician and a postman before taking up painting in 1967. He represented Ireland at the Paris Biennale in 1969, and at graphic exhibitions in Florence, Ljubljana and Tokyo. His paintings are held in collections including the National Gallery of Ireland, the Ulster Museum, the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery, and the Albrecht Dürer House, Nuremberg. Major exhibitions of his work have taken place in Lund, Warsaw, Sofia and Dublin. As a graphic designer he has produced over 70 stamps for An Post, the final series of Irish banknotes before the introduction of the euro, and numerous murals, posters, limited prints and book covers. He has also done notable set design work in the theatre. Of interest to people who love his work but could never afford it is his statement about this show: â€Å“Because my working practice as a painter tends to be detailed, methodical and above all, slow, my pictures not only take a long time to complete but also end up being quite expensive. Sadly this means that few people can afford to buy them. As a result of this I have always felt a democratic impulse to produce works on paper, whether original drawings or limited edition prints, in order to make my art available to a wider range of people.â€Â Rachel Ballagh, daughter of Robert, was born in Dublin in 1968 and graduated from the National College of Art & Design in 1992. In the past Rachel has used light and camera to depict interior worlds of many secret and playful themes while at the same time being intensely serious. She has received a number of awards from the Arts Council of Ireland and has a number of works in private collections as well as the Gordon Lambert Art Collection. â€Å“I moved from Temple Bar Galleries and Studios a number of years ago, to live in Co Cork. I found my work shifted from mainly lens based, to drawing. â€Å“The drawings explore line, shape, structure and colour of the flora and fauna, that are found in the many hedgerows and surrounding landscape. The drawings capture a sense of ordered chaos, where nature wraps around itself and engulfs all, on its very determined pathway.â€Â Je ne regrette ... Piaf songs at THT IN THE 50th anniversary year of the death of Edith Piaf, Scottish singer Christine Bovill brings her back to life on the stage of Galwayâ€â„¢s Town Hall Theatre on Tuesday June 11. Christine, who hails from Glasgow, (with Irish great grandparents on both sides) is regarded as Europeâ€â„¢s finest interpreter of the music of Piaf. Her show sold out at the Edinburgh Festivals of 2011 and 2012. PIAF is a musical homage  to the great French star, and involves Christine, a pianist and an accordionist. The show consists of two 45-minute sets, with 16 numbers, interspersed with anecdotes about her life, and Christineâ€â„¢s own journey with the music. An award-winning songwriter in her own right, Christine has worked in the world of jazz for some years, though she is celebrated most for her work in French Chanson. She has performed in theatres and Arts Centres throughout the UK and Europe, appearing on BBC Radio 4â€â„¢s Soul Music this year, BBC Radio Scotlandâ€â„¢s Edinburgh Festival Café and on ITVâ€â„¢s The Hour. Saw Doctorsâ€â„¢ songs feature in Tuam show STAGE Left Youth Theatre is thrilled to be the first group to perform a musical featuring songs by Tuamâ€â„¢s favourite band, The Saw Doctors. There was great excitement in The Mall Theatre last night (Tuesday) when the group kicked off a three-night run of Rock and Roll â€â€ the Love Story. The show continues tonight (Wednesday) and Thursday, starting at 7.30 pm. With a very witty script written by Kevin Oâ€â„¢Dwyer, the show centres on the lives of a young Tuam couple as they meet, break up and ... The story is told to the sound of The Docs and features favourite songs, including N17, I Useta Love Her and Hay Wrap. This is a show for all the family. Tickets available from Quinnâ€â„¢s, Bishop Street, Tuam, phone 093-26060. Film on the history of Europeâ€â„¢s Roma THURSDAY June 7 sees a screening of A People Uncounted, a fascinating documentary about one of Europeâ€â„¢s most marginalised and misunderstood communities, the Roma, and their suffering during the Nazi Holocaust. It will be shown in the Huston School of Film and Digital Media, NUIG, at 7 pm. An estimated 500,000 Roma were killed during the Holocaust. Nazi Germany pursued a campaign of genocide against one of Europeâ€â„¢s largest ethnic groups. A People Uncounted tells the story of the murdered of these Roma in Nazi death camps through the voices of the survivors. It also explores the history of the Roma in Europe, a community that has been romanticised and vilified in popular culture. Marie-Anne Michel, Galway Organiser for Amnesty International Ireland, said: â€Å“Roma communities are under attack across Europe. They are the victims of harassment, discrimination, forced evictions and official indifference. â€Å“A People Uncounted is a way for people in Galway to find out more about the Roma culture and to hear their stories. Weâ€â„¢re looking forward to a great night.â€Â Filmed in 11 countries and featuring dozens of Roma â€â€ including Holocaust survivors, historians, activists and musicians â€â€ A People Uncounted brings the Romani history to life. Please be sure to have your arts notes with us by 10 am on ÂÂMonday at latest. Thank you.