Dundalk artist chosen for 'Engineers of Imagination' programme

A LOUTH artist has been selected to take part in a month-long programme titled 'Engineers of Imagination'.

Gemma Byrne from Dundalk is one of ten artists chosen from across the country for the Macnas initiative sponsored by Bank of Ireland.

The recent 3D Design, Modelmaking and Digital graduate was selected from hundreds of applications for the mentoring programme last month.

Gemma, along with students from Dublin, Galway, Sligo and Mayo were mentored by experienced Macnas designers and worked alongside them to create pieces featured in Halloween parades which took place in Galway on October 29 and in Dublin on October 30.

The students’ work will also feature in the closing event for the European City of Culture in Hull.

“We are looking forward to expanding this programme in future and look forward to the culmination of this project as part of our 2020 visionary epic event,” said Macnas CEO Noeline Kavanagh.

“This year sees students from across the country coming to Macnas to learn about spectacle arts in the areas of design, animatronics, costume design, pyrotechnics, metal sculpture and performance.”