Jennifer Cunningham: Art, Community, and the River Nanny

Jennifer Cunningham is an autistic multi-disciplinary artist based in Tuam. With over 20 solo exhibitions to date, her practice has grown increasingly collaborative and interdisciplinary, combining traditional processes with digital technologies such as augmented reality. She is also deeply committed to accessibility and climate awareness, drawing inspiration from her experience as a mountaineer.

Her latest project, supported by Creative Places Tuam’s Cultural Growth Fund, takes the River Nanny as its focal point. “The River Nanny is an oasis in Tuam Town, providing vital green space. Every inch of this area counts,” Jennifer says. Through this project, Jennifer has combined her artistic and technical skills with her community connections to spark climate conversations locally and open up new ways for audiences to engage with the biodiversity around them.

Over the past few months, Jennifer has collaborated with Tuam Tidy Towns and local residents in a series of workshops held by the river, in the Little Mill, the Scout Hall, Tuam Library, and her own studio. Participants ranged in age from 7 to 79 and were introduced to cyanotype printmaking, monoprints, book formats, zine-making, collage, and an introduction to augmented reality. The workshops also included sensory walks, rubbings, photography, and creative warm-up exercises that encouraged experimentation and play.

These sessions were as much about connection as they were about making. One participant described the experience as “a method of communicating our own unique experiences and perspectives of our local nature. The work was thoroughly enjoyable and has instilled a legacy of broadening our understanding and appreciation of Tuam’s hidden gems.” Another reflected: “I really enjoyed learning how to view and engage with our environment here in Tuam in a new and creative way – something that will definitely feed into future Tidy Towns project.” For others, the project opened up new personal discoveries: “I’ve ended up with a piece of work that I could never have imagined making. It was about enjoyment and opening my eyes.”

The resulting artworks have been brought together for an exhibition titled As I Went Down to the River to Play, which will be opened by James C. Harrold at Tuam Library on Saturday 6 September at 3pm. The exhibition will run until 11 October, and all are welcome. The works on display – artist books infused with cyanotypes, monoprints and mixed-media explorations – emerged from collective encounters with the river.

At the heart of the exhibition is a main hardbound collaborative artist book that combines traditional techniques with digital layers. Using the free Artivive app, audiences can experience augmented reality within its pages, where video and sound bring the images to life. These digital layers include music and visuals contributed by local artists and musicians, such as Slowly Golden by Pádraig Stevens, That Was the River by Leo Moran (originally broadcast on RTÉ’s Sunday Miscellany), and New Time, written by Seamus Rutledge and sung by the Tome Chanters Choir under the direction of Mary O’Connor. Alongside this, the group produced a second collaborative book, bound with blanket stitch, that documents the project through cyanotypes, monoprints, frottage, drawings and collage. Each participant also created their own artist book or zine. Also on display in the exhibition are Jennifer’s paintings and artist books, together with a selection of artworks and artist books produced by the group during the project.

For Jennifer, the project has been about far more than creating a finished artwork. “The workshops were a lot of fun and allowed me to strengthen my connections in the local community,” she says. “I hope to take this further in the future now that I have a group of like-minded individuals with whom I’ve enjoyed working.” 

The project also drew on Jennifer’s recent Cybernate residency, developed in collaboration with Pôle Pixel and Galway Culture Company, and was supported through an Arts & Disability Ireland (ADI) Connect Mentoring Award and an ADI Connect Research and Development Award. She credits Creative Places Tuam as an important foundation, highlighting the inspiration of Mark Storor’s project on Gilmartin Road and acknowledging the support of Carolann Courtney. Jennifer also wishes to thank Helen Gillard for her dedicated support behind the scenes, the staff at Tuam Library and all the participants who generously gave their time, ideas and creativity. Looking ahead, Jennifer and the group are eager to continue developing the project and are exploring opportunities for future funding and support.

“As I Went Down to the River to Play”
Opening: Saturday 6 September at 3pm
Closing: 11 October
Location: Tuam Library

As well as the exhibition, Jennifer will also host a free zine-making workshop on Culture Night (19 September, 4-6pm) at Tuam Library.

This project has been supported by the Arts Council’s Creative Places Tuam Programme Cultural Growth Fund, led by Create, and supported by Galway County Council.