Wednesday night was the first night of the Glen Dimplex Award exhibition, and to judge by the hoards of people flooding into the Irish Museum of Modern Art, you'd have thought it was the award ceremony itself. The place was hopping with artists - including exhibiting artists Siobhan Hapaska, who was accompanied by her mother Tomasina; Janet Mullarney, and David MacDermott and Peter MacGough, who were resplendent in Edwardian tail coats.
These artists, who now call themselves American-Irish, first came here three years ago with three big crates including their work and their huge collection of period suits - the pair always dress as Edwardian dandies. They explained that after their exhibition they were going to settle into their new studio in the Unitarian Church on St Stephen's Green and set about the task of pulling Ireland back to the past. "We're going to act as the brakes on Ireland's progress".
Other artists there included Clea Van der Grijn who was just back from India and was accompanied by her young son Oscar; Gary Coyle who was with journalist Jennifer Keegan who was just back from India; Fionnuala Ni Chiosain, who was with Ken Kennedy of the Kerlin Gallery, where she is currently exhibiting, and Finola Jones, who is exhibiting in the Green On Red Gallery, whose owner Jerome O'Drisceoil has decided to move his operation in Fitzwilliam Square to his Lombard Street gallery.
Other guests included Glen Dimplex deputy chairman Lochlann Quinn; designer Lainey Keogh; publisher Mari-Aymone Djeribi; Jobst Graeve of the Model Arts Centre; Tanya Kiang of the Gallery of Photography, and board members Mike Murphy and Gordon Lambert.