It will be a crying shame if the top floor exhibition space of Conway Mill is not retained in it’s present configuration. This is a wonderful space, well lit with immense potential. It has that NY loft feeling about it used by contemporary artists like Sean Scully. Pauline Kersten who is in charge of arts development told me of her plight. “We want to preserve this space to host art exhibitions and other cultural events. I am resisting moves to convert the space into work units.” Currently former Balcombe Street Siege man Hugh Doherty is showing. I would be willing to throw my weight behind a major retrospective of local son Gerard Dillon’s work in this remarkable space. I can’t recall any acknowledgement of the status of the Falls Road painter in West Belfast in my 30 years in Belfast.
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Eamonn Mallie
I am a regular contributor to discussion programmes on TV and radio both at home and abroad. An experienced political editor and author specialising in Politics, Security and 20th Century Art.