Galway International Arts Festival (GIAF) has commissioned award-winning visual artist Jennifer Cunningham to create a commemorative artwork for this year’s festival which runs until 18 September.
The Wayfarer is now available for purchase in poster form at the Festival Gallery on William Street until 18 September, and through GIAF’s online store. A limited edition first run of 100 posters has also been released.
Jennifer Cunningham’s hopeful piece is a celebration of the recent past as well as a look to a more optimistic future.
Commenting on the commission, Jennifer said it was a massive honour to be asked to design this year’s Galway International Arts Festival poster.
“As I was growing up each year Galway International Arts Festival brought me on a visual adventure or a journey with the colour and joy it brought to the city,” she said.
“I wanted to reflect that in this artwork, which is why I titled it ‘The Wayfarer’.”
Jennifer said that various ideas relating to the theme of Galway were discussed, before a Salthill-based piece was chosen.
“Growing up as a child, Salthill was the place to go. However, with the advent of cheap flights that may have been forgotten about.
“However, recently people have a greater appreciation of the local amenities and green/blue space.
“There has been an explosion in year-round swimmers and, indeed, these places have played an important role in allowing people to see their loved ones during lockdown.”
Jennifer Cunningham’s 2018 GIAF exhibition, After the Future, at the Festival Gallery was very popular this limited edition poster also promises to be hugely popular amongst collectors of arts festival posters and art lovers alike – and is the perfect souvenir for those who cannot be in Galway for the festival this year.
The unframed poster – 540mm (W) x 850 mm(H) – is available framed (€100) and unframed (€40) and is printed on high quality gloss paper and can be shipped worldwide.
It is available to purchase online here or in-person at the Festival Gallery on William Street from Wednesday – Sunday.
 has commissioned award-winning visual artist Jennifer Cunningham to create artwork){kind=link}