According to lore, when, in the summer of 1968, the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono landed by helicopter at Westport Quay, a local character observed that Ono's skirt was so short, "you could see Louisburgh between her legs". The famous couple had just picnicked on their island retreat, Dorinish, one of the tiny maze of islands in Clew Bay. It is now known that, weeks before his death, Lennon had requested that his Westport solicitor investigate the renewal of a lapsed planning permission application to build a cottage on the island.
Who knows, but if Lennon were still alive he may well have dropped into the Asgard Bar at Westport Quay last Friday night for the launch of Unframed, an exhibition of artist Stephen "Rasta" Walsh's latest work. Liam O Maonlai chose to open Walsh's first exhibition officially in the west of Ireland by reading two of the artist's unpublished poems. Walsh is increasingly working through this medium as a form of expression, and the poems O Maonlai chose perfectly enhanced the complex spirituality of Walsh's paintings.
The right to life
Is to turn to the light
For the people don't know
How to use their right
Because they're always listening
To the Babylon fight
Walsh is 32 and has cerebral palsy. When he met artist Brian Maguire in 1990, he was a very angry young man. "I was angry because I didn't want to just exist. Remember, I'm only physically disabled, not spiritually or intellectually." Maguire helped Walsh to release this anger through painting, so it's no surprise that his early work was physically and sexuallyexplicit.
These days, however, Walsh has mellowed, and there is an obvious evolution in his work. He effectively likens this maturation to a spiritual epiphany. "Five years ago, when I grew my dreadlocks, everything came together. I believe that Haile Selassie is the Redeemer, and I don't give a f*** if people think I'm a lunatic."
Walsh's exhibition is an obvious celebration of the inspirational peace and self-hope that his Rastafarian faith has brought him. His interpretation of this faith openly embraces other religions.
When Lennon bought his island retreat back in the 1960s, he made it available to a group of his hippie friends. The commune often sailed into Westport Harbour for provisions and were always welcomed at the Asgard Bar. Unfortunately, they were treated with suspicion and mistrust in many other establishments in the town and were often refused service.
Thirty years later, the town of Westport has become a cosmopolitan haven which fosters the culture and arts of many nationalities. In fact, the entire county of Mayo, with its unbridled sea and breathtaking landscapes, has over the years become a mecca for many creative canvasses.
"There is a very inclusive ethos in the fostering and celebration of the arts in the county." says Ian Wieczorek, PRO of Castlebar's Linenhall Arts Centre. "For the past eight years, the Linenhall has developed a radical and strong community arts programme. The diversity of this programme has facilitated and educated many communities and individuals who are socially disadvantaged."
Wieczorek, who has been editor of the monthly review magazine, Arts West, since 1994, is critical of the national media's "indifference" to the arts outside of Dublin. "The Irish arts scene doesn't stop in Dublin, you know. In this county alone there are so many people creating works of excellence that are not even acknowledged, never mind critically acclaimed, beyond the local domain."
Due to open later this year, the beautifully renovated Customs House Studios are merely a small part of Mayo County Council's Arts Service. This programme, established in 1989, is based on the principles of "access, excellence and inclusion" articulated in the Arts Council's first Arts Plan.
Notwithstanding the strong institutional support for the arts in Mayo, the pervading informality and spontaneity of events are a hallmark. "Everything about Walsh's opening was unpretentious and unselfconscious," says local poet Ger Reidy.
The celebration of Walsh's exhibition became a weekendlong party, an informal festival of the arts, as seanos singerO Maonlai summoned the assembly of revellers and local musicians to the primal beat of his bodhran.
Sculptor Rosie Rathdonnell's bust of Luke Kelly sat comfortably on the bar as drummers bodhranned and bongoed their way through traditional rhythms, ranging from Connemara bogs to exotic Caribbean beats.
"This is the best craic I've ever had at an exhibition," says Walsh, who plans to visit Jamaica for the 20th anniversary of hero Bob Marley's death.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, when the town of Westport first began to attract artists and musicians, they flocked to the Asgard. Nowadays, with Chieftain
Matt Molloy's excellent music venue, and several galleries, both formal and informal, in the town, artists are spoiled for choice. And the establishment last winter of a weekly "open mic" night at the Cellar Cafe has already attracted a wide variety of performers both local and national.
Stephen Walsh intends to return to Westport soon, perhaps including Dorinish in his itinerary. "Okay the weather mightn't be as good as Jamaica, but the vibe is really good."
