Abhaile

The installation aims to engage people in a positive and joyful conversation about the natural world, away from the fearful and towards positive associations. The blackbird’s nest will travel, on a handcart, through the streets of Cork, stopping frequently to engage with the public. At the close of the festival, the nest with its eggs will be floated on the river to continue its journey to the sea.

Jackie Nevin is a sculptor, living and working in west Cork. The primary focus of her practice is to re-engage people with the natural world. By bringing large scale sculptures out of the gallery and into a public setting she invites conversation and interaction. Her work is tactile and employs materials that reflect a sustainable arts practice and a commitment to the environmental welfare. In a recent project with the library service ‘Bringing Outside In’, Jackie brought art into a community setting to promote positive mental health through engagement with art and nature.

Jackie is the 2023 recipient of the Jane Anne Rothwell Award, presented annually in memory of the inspirational Chair of Cork Midsummer Festival from 2013 – 2018. A leading figure in Cork’s legal and business community, Jane Anne was an incredible mentor to, and champion of, women in the arts.