Welcome to the Winter/Spring (January - May 2010) programme of creative activities and events for the New Year at MCAC. The New Year will bring with it both a sense of continuity and change for MCAC. Megan Johnston has left the Centre to return to the US and I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the board and all of the staff to thank her for her dedication and hard work over the past 7 years.

The programme continues to combine visual, verbal, multimedia and educational arts, which are directly inspired from the exhibitions on view. This season opens on the 27th January with ‘Into Irish Drawing’, an exhibition of beautiful new work by both established and emerging artists from the North and South of Ireland. This beautiful exhibition includes work chosen for its visual quality has been selected by the curator respected visual artist and lecturer Arno Kramer with work selected on the basis of its originality and authenticity.

This exhibition will be supported by a master class, focusing on illustration and drawing techniques, led by Belfast based illustrator David Haughey as well as opportunities through workshops to foster drawing skills in young and old alike.

This is followed by Archiving Place and Time, which opens in April. Curated by former Director Megan Johnson and Fionna Barber, Lecturer at the Manchester School of Art, the exhibition examines art created in post-conflict society since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. A range of activities have been inspired by the exhibition.

We look forward to welcoming you to the centre and hope you and your family will join us at the exhibitions, events and workshops that we are running this season. We hope that there is something for everyone in our Spring programme and welcome comments and suggestions, we would love to hear your opinions on what you enjoy and what you would like to do more of. On a personal note I look forward to meeting you in the future and working with the staff to bring even more creative fun to MCAC !

Jackie Barker/ MCAC Arts Director