In August of 2022, Caroline Allen interviewed Portlaoise man Kevin Kavanagh about his career and his very successful art gallery in London.
Commuting from Mountrath to the capital where his eponymous art gallery is a key part of the cultural scene, is “challenging but doable,” says Kevin Kavanagh.
From a well-known Portlaoise family, he was raised at 16 Borris Road. “Growing up, I was more interested in sport – Gaelic football, hurling, athletics – and I also really enjoyed the scouts and Foróige,” he says.
“After school, I went to TCD (Trinity College Dublin) where I read economics.
“It was a big change from the CBS but I really enjoyed it. After that, I did my masters in Galway but never finished the course.
“So I dropped out at the very end of my academic career. I lived in London and worked as a doorman in New York for a while before returning to open the gallery in Dublin.”
He set up Jo Rain Gallery in Temple Bar in February 1994 with a few friends.
“It lasted five years and I ran it on my own after just three months.
“In November 1998, I moved to Great Strand Street and spent ten years there. In September 2008, I moved to the gallery’s current location on Chancery Lane, Dublin 8.”
One of the county’s army of commuters, he doesn’t find the experience too stressful.
“Currently, the local bus service from Mountrath to Portlaoise is very good and the trains from Portlaoise to Dublin are a great service. The train gives me the opportunity to work and time to think about the gallery’s programme.”
The Kevin Kavanagh Gallery closed for nine months between the two lockdowns in 2020/2021.
“To be honest, the first lockdown was a nice break from commuting and mostly from doing something for so long. It was refreshing.
“It was great, for the first time, getting support from the State, through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Wage Subsidy Scheme,” Kevin reflects.
“We were fortunate to have developed a new website just before the pandemic that facilitated the gallery to present online exhibitions which allowed us to continue with a programme and generate sales for the artists.”
The gallery’s remit, Kevin says, is to build and develop long-term relationships with artists and collectors.
“The relationship is equal between the artists and the gallery through support and creative engagement. The gallery’s representation means a lot to the artists as it often welcomes new opportunities and progression for their careers.”
The artists represented in the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery include: Diana Copperwhite, Alice Maher, Sinéad Ní Mhaonaigh, Geraldine O’Neill, Dermot Seymour and fellow Portlaoise man, Michael Boran.
Every day is different in the gallery which opens Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm.
“There’s lots of diversity within the job. Ongoing activities include: doing studio visits; travelling to art fairs; meeting with collectors/corporate clients and publishing books with the represented artists.
“The gallery also hosts a series of ‘In-Conversation’ discussions with the artists throughout the programme which can be viewed on our Youtube channel.
“Travelling to various art fairs abroad gives the gallery the opportunity to exhibit our artists and their work internationally,” says Kevin, on his way to London as he speaks with LaoisToday.
Despite the doom and gloom about a forthcoming recession, the Portlaoise man isn’t particularly worried about the impact it will have on his gallery.
“There is always a reason to not invest in art. I find generally those who are interested are always interested,” says Kevin who sold his own collection to Dublin City University in 2014 to help keep the gallery open.
“It’s a good thing to collect art as you are supporting artists and their careers.
“My advice would be to see as much as possible and get a feeling for what you like before making any decisions. Never buy at auction as it does nothing for the artists,” he counsels.
David Tulley will show ‘The Rock’ at the Kevin Kavanagh Gallery from August 18 to September 3.
Other upcoming shows include: Cecilia Danell, Vanessa Donoso Lopez, Stephanie Deady and a group show in December in collaboration with Swedish Gallery, Magnus Karlsson. More information is available on: www.kevinkavanagh.ie.
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